I am working FePt nanowires with electrodepostion method by using Versa Stat but Pt electrode becomes oxidized either more or less ionic concentration of Pt in electrolyte.
The issue is the cleaning of Pt electrode. Usually it takes three to four hours in diluted H2SO4 and becomes properly cleaned in case of NiMn, CoPt etc. but in this case I dipped electrode in 50% diluted H2SO4 for seven days and it is not properly cleaned.
I have also tried concentrated HNO3, tried to clean it with detergent and ethanol separately but still it is not properly cleaned.
Can anybody help me to hell out coated material on Pt electrode????
Usman, The best way for cleaning platinum electrodes is to use Piranha solution (3:1 sulphuric acid and hydrogen peroxide). I am using electrodes to measure conductivity and this helps big time. Also use 10% nitric acid bath to leave the electrode in it.
I think the impurities are mainly from two sources. One is the organic impurities, and they can be cleaned by KOH. Other impurities could be some metals on the surface, so these metals can be cleaned by HNO3. So I suggest you put the electrode in nitric acid and boil it and then in KOH to boil it. After these two steps, you might boil the electrode in DI water and let it cool down for 12h. Then the electrode will be cleaned.
Piranha is too strong and usually used in clean room. Have you tried H2SO4 in saturated K2Cr2O7?
Usman, The best way for cleaning platinum electrodes is to use Piranha solution (3:1 sulphuric acid and hydrogen peroxide). I am using electrodes to measure conductivity and this helps big time. Also use 10% nitric acid bath to leave the electrode in it.
Dear all, I am facing a similar problem with a cochlear implant array (silicon + Pt electrodes). The surface of the electrodes shows a deposit that I would like to remove without deteriorating neither the electrodes nor the silicon.
Do you think your Piranha solution is safe in this case?
Thanks a lot
Dear Quentin, Balaji is right , but i should mention here piranha solution is very strong agent which cleans very stable Pt metal by Removing its outer surface. If your Pt foil is affected by whatever material you are using, then in future that material will again react for your repeated experiments, so you will again have to clean it by same Piranha solution. Here i should recommend, fall solution drop wise on Pt foil instead to put Pt foil in Piranha solution to avoid extra removal of Pt layers from foil then clean foil with soft paper.
@ Balaji, Thank you Balaji for your suggestions..
using 10% nitric acid bath to leave the electrode in it...balaji can u ellaborate this method little bit more..and the advantage of this method too
I was wondering if there is a need to sonication bath or just submerge
10% HNO3 can be used for cleaning as the nitric acid can dissolve most metals except the noble metals. If the platinum electrode is still unclean, Increasing temperature or concentration of nitric acid might solve this
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