The Initial Stages of Copper Deposition on Bare and Chemically Modified Gold Electrodes

This paper comprises, in the form of an overview, various aspects of the initial stages of electrolytic metal deposition, demonstrated and exemplified by the classical model system, Cu on Au(hkl). Describing underpotential as well as overpotential deposition, some of the parameters governing nucleation and growth are pointed out. The profound effect of substrate orientation is shown and various examples of the influence of organic additives on the deposition process are given. Most recently, metal deposition onto electrodes covered with self-assembled monolayers has received increased attention as a possible model system for metal deposition onto a non-conducting surface and therefore, preliminary results for Cu deposition on alkanethiol covered Au(111) are presented.