Fractal surfaces of gold and platinum electrodeposits. Dimensionality determination by scanning tunneling microscopy

The structure of gold and platinum deposits grown on gold and platinum wire cathodes, respectively, by electroreduction of the corresponding oxide layers has been analyzed in terms of surface fractals by measuring the perimeter L and area A of intergranular voids. Perimeter and area were determined from scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) topographic images of the deposit surfaces. Fractal behavior, L ∞ AD'/2 with D'= 1.5 ± 0.1, is found for both platinum and gold deposits. From these measurements, the fractal dimension of the surfaces was 2.5. The D' value of the gold deposits decreases by aging in the electrolyte at 325 K as a consequence of surface diffusion processes.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas (INIFTA)Facultad de Ciencias Exacta