Experimental Demonstration of Diffusion-Limited Dynamics in Electrodeposition

Abstract

We present the first quantitative proof of the diffusive character of the mass transport in thin gap electrodeposition experiments. Applying phase-shift interferometry for the local determination of the concentration field, we demonstrate that the diffusion equation can accurately describe the mass transport in cells whose gap is less than 50 $\ensuremath{\mu}$m. We also show the correspondence of the time evolution of experimental interfacial depletion profiles along the reacting electrode with the theoretical prediction of a simple diffusion equation.