Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
A new strategy of using pre-grown crystals to study preferential adsorption of various additives is demonstrated for the electrocrystallization of Cu2O. In this method, micron-size Cu2O crystals with well-defined cubic and octahedral shapes were first electrochemically grown, and their crystallization was resumed in a medium containing the additive to be investigated (e. g. , Na+, NH4+, SO42-, Cl-, dodecyl sulfate). This method makes it possible to systematically study the interaction of additives with specific planes (e. g. , 100 of a cube and 111 of an octahedron) already present. By observing shape transformation over time, the relative stabilities of 100, 111, and 110 planes of Cu2O in various growth media could be determined. During this study, a general scheme of forming new crystal shapes containing crystallographic planes that cannot be directly stabilized by preferential adsorption alone was also established (i. e. , rhombicuboctahedral shape of Cu2O containing 110 planes). This method can be extended to other crystal systems, which will enable us to classify common features of additives (e. g. , charges, type of atoms) and crystallographic planes (e. g. , atomic arrangement, surface termination, surface charge) required to allow for strong preferential adsorption.
Siegfried et al. (Fri,) studied this question.