Comparison of Electrodeposited Cu-Zn Alloys Prepared Individually and Combinatorially

1. Dalhousie University Comparison of Electrodeposited Cu-Zn Alloys Prepared Individually and Combinatorially Shane Beattie and J. R. Dahn Dalhousie University, Halifax, N.S., Canada

2. Motivation - Combinatorial • Combinatorial methods provide a new paradigm for advancing scientific discovery. • Hundreds or even thousands of similar, but unique, materials can be created in a single experiment and then tested for a desired property. • Combinatorial methods must be able to be scaled to industrial sized proportions.

3. Combinatorial Electrodeposition

4. Cu rich Zn Ni foil Hull Cell Zn rich Combinatorial Electrodeposition 0.3M Zn2+ (-0.76 V SHE) 0.013M Cu2+ (0.16 V SHE) 23:1Zn:Cu Cu deposition is diffusion controlled

5. A range of Cu-Zn alloys 0 10

6. } -CuZn + (Cu) -CuZn } -CuZn5 + -CuZn A range of Cu-Zn alloys 0 10

8. Individual, Bulk Alloys

9. Bulk Alloys -Pulsed Deposition • If a commercially viable product is discovered using combinatorial methods the fabrication process must be easily scaled to industrial sized proportions. • To test the scalability of our combinatorial methods we prepared copper-zinc alloys in bulk using antiquated, one-at-a-time methods. • Bulk alloys were deposited under the same conditions as the alloys prepared combinatorially, except a pulsed current was used instead of constant current.

10. Pulsed Waveform Zn deposition Cu2++Zn Cu+Zn2+

11. Bulk Alloys -Pulsed Deposition Zn% (Cu) 14 20 25 -CuZn  ' 45 54  60 -CuZn5 75 

12. XRD: Combinatorial vs. Pulsed Selected Scans Zn % Pulsed Zn % Combinatorial 30 25 70 75

13. Combi, one bath, one run, 1hr, range of compositions One by one, seven baths, seven runs, 50hrs, discrete compositions

14. Conclusion Combinatorial Electrodeposition is: • Scalable - structure and composition of alloys prepared by combinatorial methods are representative of bulk alloys • Inexpensive - The experiment could be performed using tupperware and a D-cell • Fast - Experiment took less than an hour • Simple - No special equipment is required, except for chemicals everything you need can be bought from Canadian Tire • Combinatorial methods via electrodeposition embody, and even extend, the advantages of combinatorial methods: “faster, better, cheaper, simpler and scalable”.

15. Acknowledgements Dalhousie University • Jeff Dahn and Dahn Lab members, past and present

16. Recent Developments • Cu-Zn is just one example of the power of combinatorial electrodeposition. We’ve also explored binary Cu-Sn and Sn-Zn composition-spread films. • We’re no longer limited to binary systems. We recently developed a simple method to fabricate composition-spread libraries of ternary films • Ternary films are deposited such that composition gradients are parallel or orthogonal to one another

17. Sn Sn Zn Zn Need a 3rd element, Cu Cu solution

18. Sn Zn Cu

20. 5V Water Guns!

21. Conclusions II • Composition-spread ternary alloys can be fabricated • Like combinatorial electrodeposition, the method is simple, fast, inexpensive, and versatile. • A little ingenuity goes a long way. Good science can be done without expensive, complicated equipment.

22. Combinatorial Cell Plate

23. Taped Combinatorial Cell Plate

24. Plated Combinatorial Cell Plate Cu Zn

27. Sn rich Zn Ni foil Hull Cell Zn rich Deposit Binary Alloys First 0.3M Zn2+ (-0.76V SHE) 0.013M Sn2+ (-0.14V SHE) 23:1Zn:Sn Sn deposition is diffusion controlled

28. A Range of Binary Alloys

29. A Range of Binary Alloys

30. A range of Cu-Zn alloys 0 Multi-phased Nanocrystaline Multi-phased, crystalline 10