Electrochemical Investigations of Ag and Bi in Choline Chloride-Ethylene Glycol DES Electrolyte
Authors: Jahrsengene Gøril , Wang Zhaohui , Martinez Ana Maria 
Published: February 2024

Electrodeposition for silver and bismuth is currently carried out in alkaline solutions, e.g., by use of cyanide, and by electroplating these metals, by themselves or together. The electroplated products have important uses, e.g., in semiconductors [1].

Choline Chloride (ChCl)-Ethylene Glycol (EG) DES mixtures, often referred to as ethaline, have been shown to have superior electrochemical properties compared to many other DES systems [2]. This system is considered a green solvent [3]. In this work, the electrochemical behaviour of Ag and Bi in ethaline electrolyte has been investigated to obtain the necessary parameters to extract them by electrochemical methods, either separately or together, when both are present in the DES electrolyte. The presence of Cu and Sb in the electrolyte, has also been studied, and its effect in the metal obtained has been evaluated. Ethaline solutions were fabricated by mixing together ChCl and EG at 1:2 ChCl:EG molar ratio by stirring at 60 °C until a clear liquid was formed. Model electrolyte solutions were then produced by dissolving AgCl and BiCl3, as well as SbCl3 and CuCl2, in the DES. Electrochemical investigations were carried out at 60 °C by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) and potentiostatic electrolysis using a 3-electrode setup.

The CVs obtained using Pt-wire or GC-rod as working electrodes in the DES with 10 mM Ag(I) and Bi(III), showed two distinguished peaks in the cathodic scan. The CV and CA results showed that the Bi deposition starts at approximately 0.15-0.20 V more cathodic than the Ag deposition. Two or more electrochemical signals were observed in the reverse anodic scan, correlating to the dissolution of the metals, alloys and possible electrolyte reactions. Example of CV curve obtained on a Pt wire at a scan rate of 200 mV/s is included.

The results indicated that it could be possible to electrochemically extract only Ag or both Ag and Bi simultaneously, when present at identical concentrations in the DES electrolyte, by carefully choosing the deposition potential. This was confirmed after analysis of the cathodic deposits on Pt and stainless steel (316L) substrates by Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS).

Experiments with Sb(III) and Cu(II), in addition to Ag(I) and Bi(III) present in the DES electrolyte showed that the cathodic deposition of the different metals appears in the order Ag<Sb<Bi<Cu. Significant co-deposition might occur, enhanced by favourable alloy formation, when metallic elements may deposit at activities lower than 1. Still, at 10 mM of each of the four metal salts present in the DES electrolyte, it was possible to obtain deposits with one, two, three or four metals present, by choosing the proper cathodic deposition potential.

Acknowledgements

This project has received funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement 815748. The content in this presentation reflects only the views of the authors. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

References

[1] I. Krastev, T. Valkova and A. Zielonka, Structure and properties of electrodeposited silver–bismuth alloys, Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, 2004, 34, 79–85.

[2] G. García, S. Aparicio, R. Ullah, and M. Atilhan, Deep Eutectic Solvents: Physicochemical Properties and Gas Separation Applications, Energy&Fuels, 2015, 29, 2616-2644.

[3] K. Haerens, E. Matthijs, A. Chmielarz, and B. Van der Bruggen, The use of ionic liquids based on choline chloride for metal deposition: A green alternative? Journal of Environmental Management, 2009, 90, 3245-3252.

Figure 1