The study of aluminium deposition from tetrahydrofuran solutions of AlCl3–LiAlH4 using microelectrodes. Part 2.—The influence of solution composition

Abstract

The electrodeposition of aluminium from five solutions in THF of AlCl₃– LiAlH₄ has been investigated using potential sweep and step techniques at Au microelectrodes. The ratios of AlCl₃ to LiAlH₄ range from 5:1 to 1:5 (total Al concentration always 1 mol dm^–3). The nucleation overpotential, the exchange-current density and the maximum rate of Al deposition all depend on the solution composition and in extreme compositions the electroactive species can be different. A 1:1 solution appears to be a good choice for electroplating aluminium. The nucleation and growth of Al on Au from a 1:2 solution of AlCl₃–LiAlH₄ in THF has been studied in more detail.