A simple electrodeposition problem and the abundant knowledge it subserves to teach

This paper presents a handful of electrochemical experiments related to one single system that opens up the way to teach a bunch of topics related to physical and inorganic chemistry, hence serving experience-oriented education of otherwise hard-to-understand fields. The key idea is the electrodeposition of metals from the same bath containing Cu2+ and Ni2+ ions onto electrodes that differ from each other either in size or position within the electrochemical cell. With the proper optimization of the current densities, pure Cu and a Ni-rich coating with shiny silver colour can be obtained on electrodes of large and small surface area, respectively. It will be explained in detail how to drive the discussion on the experiment so that the audience learns which processes can be treated as parallel ones (i.e. the deposition of two metals, Cu and Ni), the mass transport taking place in serial with the electrochemical reaction, and the occurrence of the mass transport limitation in an electrode process. Didactic aspects of the experiment are presented for both high school and undergraduate levels, and control experiments are also suggested to verify the conclusions achieved. Collateral topics of chemistry and materials science that can be brought up in connection with the experiment are also enumerated.

Automated summary

This paper presents a series of electrochemical experiments that are connected to one system, offering a hands-on learning approach for physical and inorganic chemistry topics that are typically difficult to understand. The key idea involves electrodeposition of metals, specifically copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni), from the same electrolyte solution onto different electrodes with varying sizes or positions within the electrochemical cell. By optimizing the current densities, pure Cu and a shiny silver-colored Ni-rich coating can be obtained on electrodes with large and small surface areas, respectively. The paper provides detailed guidance on how to facilitate discussions to help the audience understand parallel processes involved in deposition (Cu and Ni), serial mass transport with the electrochemical reaction, and the occurrence of mass transport limitations in electrode processes. The didactic aspect of the experiment is discussed for both high school and undergraduate levels, and control experiments are recommended to validate the findings. Additionally, the paper highlights other chemistry and materials science topics that can be explored in connection with this experiment.