Electroless deposition surface characterization

Photovoltaic response parameters for electrodeposited (polycrystalline) CdTe thin film electrodes in sulfide-polysulfide or alkaline sodium telluride PEC have been reported, primarily with no reference to the stability of the cells [100], In view of the instability of CdTe in aqueous solutions, Bhattacharya and Rajeshwar [101] employed two methods for the characterization of their electrodeposited CdTe-based PEC. In the first one, a coating of Pb02 (-100 nm thick) was deposited on the CdTe film surface by electroless deposition, and the coated films... 

Employing potential-pH and cyclic voltammetric characterization techniques, Burke and coworkers [48, 73] have advanced the notion that incipient surface hydrous oxide species mediate the electrooxidation reactions of reducing agents of interest to electroless deposition. Thus, in the case of electroless Ni-B, an interfacial, basic, cationic Ni(I) hydrous oxide species would mediate the oxidation of DMAB, as shown in part here ... 

Preferential segregation of certain elements from dense alloy membranes can also result in degradation of the performance of H2 permeation membranes. For example, Pd-Ag films ( 2.4%Ag, 20-26 pm thick) were deposited by sequential electroless plating onto porous tubular stainless steel substrates with AI2O3 oxide layers to modify the substrate pore size and to prevent intermetallic diffusion of the stainless steel components into the Pd-Ag layer (Bosko et al., 2011). Composite membranes annealed at temperatures of 500-600°C were characterized for film structure (XRD), morphology (SEM), bulk and surface component distribution (EDS, XPS), and H2 permeance. Composition measurements within the Pd-Ag layer revealed preferential segregation of the Ag component to the top surface. This result is consistent with the lower surface free energy of Ag. 

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