Effect of High Magnetic Field on Copper Deposition from an Aqueous Solution

Abstract

Abstract Deposition of copper metal from a Cu2+/Zn liquid-solid redox reaction is studied in a high magnetic field gradient. A zinc wire is placed on a chromatography paper strip with a copper(II) chloride aqueous solution. At zero field, copper dendrite grows uniformly around the wire. In the presence of a magnetic field gradient (ca. 410 T2 m-1), the dendritic pattern changes drastically. The yields of copper dendrite and consumed copper ion increase by ca. 50% in the magnetic field. The results are interpreted in terms of the magnetic force-induced convection of the solution.