Kinetic peculiarities of anodic dissolution of copper and its gold alloys accompanied by the formation of insoluble Cu(I) products

Abstract The kinetics of anodic dissolution of Cu and Cu–Au alloys (0.1–30 at.% Au) in aqueous chloride-containing universal buffer mixture (pH 1.25–11.90) in the potential range of insoluble Cu(I) products formation has been examined using the technique of multicyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry of stationary and rotating electrodes. After the formation of anodic film, mass transport controls the dissolution; the phase where the transport is localised depends on the nature of the film, pH of the solution and the alloy composition. The initial stage of CuCl formation on Cu and low-concentration Cu–Au alloys is controlled by 2D-nucleation.