Electrochemical oscillations during copper electrodissolution/passivation in trifluoroacetic acid induced by current interrupt method

Complex oscillatory behavior of electric current and electrode potential were observed during potentiodynamic anodic polarization of Cu in 1 M TFA, applying the current interrupt method for IR drop compensation. This oscillatory behavior was found to give an electrochemical response in the form of a polarization curve with continuous loop. The results presented show that the current interrupt method is capable of eliminating the entire IR drop. Under such conditions, oscillations of the applied potential are in fact those of the double-layer potential. Theoretically predicted interplay between oscillatory behavior of the double-layer potential and the electric current is experimentally demonstrated. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved