Induced Electrodeposition of Molybdenum and Tungsten Alloys

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Professor Elizabeth J. Podlaha of Northeastern University is supported by the Chemical Catalysis Program in the Division of Chemistry to study the mechanisms of induced electrochemical codeposition of molybdenum and tungsten alloys from aqueous solutions, and to use these alloys in a nanowire architecture to catalyze electrolytic hydrogen production. The alloys will be reduced under photoelectrochemical excitation and the composition of the resulting deposit will be characterized. The mechanisms will be examined by impedance techniques, including intensity-modulated photocurrent and intensity-modulated photovoltage spectroscopy, and the structure of the deposit will be characterized by surface analytical methodologies. A mathematical model to predict deposit composition will be developed. Electrodeposition has contributed greatly to magnetic data storage and computer technology, but it is emerging as a uniquely capable method for making materials and structures needed for a nanotechnology-based future economy. Although electrochemical deposition has been utilized for a very long time, the mechanisms of electrodeposition at the atomic level are not clearly understood. Students will be trained in electrochemical deposition and catalysis, and a website will be developed to demonstrate electrodeposition for high school students.