Manipulation of the Sol-Gel Electrochemical Deposition

A main advantage of electrochemical deposition is the ease of manipulation by deposition parameters, such as potential, time, concentration of monomers, and water content in the deposition solution. Many works have shown that the thickness and properties of sol-gel films are strongly dependent on the deposition conditions [2,18,21,36]. Specifically, nanostructured sol-gel films can be electro-deposited using a template as a building block. The templates used include an anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane and a cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfectant [28,37]. In addition, the electrodeposition of sol-gel films can also be spatially confined to conductive patterns on the electrode surface [38], or localized by a microelectrode using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) [39,40]. 

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It should be noted that although the effect of deposition parameters on the electrochemical deposition of sol-gel films has been thoroughly investigated by many different groups aiming at tuning the thickness and other properties (e.g., hydrophobicity, roughness, and corrosion resistance) of the films, the manipulation of the deposition process is still based on experience in different systems. 

Unlike the co-electrodeposition of different metals, cross-linking between different precursors makes it impossible to fidly separate the deposition of different components by adjusting electrochemical parameters such as potential. The kinetics of the co-electrodeposition process is very comphcated, although the ratio between different sol-gel precursors could be altered in a hmited range by changing deposition conditions. The manipulation of the deposition process for preparing sol-gel hybrid films remains a challenge. 

In summary, the electrochemical deposition of sol-gel films can be well manipulated by deposition parameters such as potential, time, and concentration of the... 

Although the electrodeposition of sol-gel films can be well manipulated based on the experimental data, the kinetics of the deposition process is still not quantified. This is desired to be solved in the near future as it is important for better understanding and controlling the process. Other future aspects may include the electrodeposition from nonaqueous solutions using other electrochemically induced catalytic reactions, and improving the spatial resolution of patterning. 

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