Thin Film Electrodeposition of Cd-Te alloy from Choline Chloride-Based Ionic Liquid to Study the Effect of Various Parameters

Md. Moynul Islam, Toshar Hossain, Md. Saiful Islam and M. Rostom Ali

Abstract: The binary alloy (Cd-Te) was electrodeposited onto a copper cathode using a constant potential approach at room temperature with and without additives (40 mL·L-1 acetonitrile) from ethylene glycol (EG) and choline chloride (ChCl) based ionic liquid (IL) comprising metal ions. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive analysis by X-rays (EDAX) have been used to explain the effects of different circumstances on the shape of the electrodeposited layers and electrodeposition. The electrodeposited alloy has a highly varied shape, which is mostly determined by the electrolytic composition and polarization potentials, according to the diffraction patterns and SEM pictures. The quality of the alloy deposits is greatly enhanced by additives during alloy deposition, and the cathodic current efficiency is 98.5%. The metal co-deposit compositions were ascertained using
the smart eZAF quant results of the alloy deposit’s EDAX profiles. According to results from energy-dispersive spectroscopy, the Te(IV) concentration and the deposition potential in Cd-Te alloy deposition in IL affect the composition of the alloy deposits. This outcome will address the current research gaps in the electrodeposition technique of Cd-Te alloy.

Keywords: Ionic liquid; Electrodeposition; Binary alloys; Cyclic voltammetry; Additives

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