Chronoamperometric Estimation of the Nucleation Rate, the Nuclei Number, and Diffusion Coefficient during Electrocrystallization

On the assumption of the mixed kinetics of the process, new formulas are derived for the calculating of the diffusion coefficient, the nucleation rate, and the number of growing clusters, basing on the experimental curves of the time dependence of the current during the potentiostatic nucleation and growth in the electrocrystallization process. In this context, some literature experimental data are analyzed. It is shown that during crystallization on an active metal substrate, the number of nuclei can sharply increase with potential, unlike structureless substrates (such as glassy carbon) at which the nuclei number depends but weakly on the potential.