Magnesium underpotential deposition from nitrate melts and alloy formation with platinum substrate

Abstract

This paper investigates magnesium underpotential deposition on platinum electrodes from magnesium nitrate-ammonium nitrate melts at temperatures ranging from 400 to 500 K. Electrochemical techniques used were linear sweep voltammetry and potential step. Electrode surfaces were studied by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD). In the underpotential range studied, it was found that magnesium underpotential deposition took part simultaneously with reduction processes of nitrate and nitrite. EDS and XRD measurements showed clear evidence of MgPt3, Mg3Pt alloys being formed.