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Electrochemistry of Nanocrystalline 3C Silicon Carbide Films
Author(s) -
Yang Nianjun,
Zhuang Hao,
Hoffmann René,
Smirnov Waldemar,
Hees Jakob,
Jiang Xin,
Nebel Christoph E.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201103765
Subject(s) - nanocrystalline material , materials science , silicon carbide , electrode , electrochemistry , nanocrystalline silicon , carbide , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemical engineering , silicon , nanotechnology , composite material , metallurgy , crystalline silicon , chemistry , organic chemistry , amorphous silicon , engineering
Silicon carbide (SiC) films have been used frequently for high‐frequency and powder devices but have seldom been applied as the electrode material. In this paper, we have investigated the electrochemical properties of the nanocrystalline 3C‐SiC film in detail. A film with grain sizes of 5 to 20 nm shows a surface roughness of about 30 nm. The resistivity of the film is in the range of 3.5–6.2 kΩ cm. In 0.1 M H 2 SO 4 solution, the film has a double‐layer capacitance of 30–35 μF cm −2 and a potential window of 3.0 V if an absolute current density of 0.1 mA cm −2 is defined as the threshold. Its electrochemical activity was examined by using redox probes of [Ru(NH 3 ) 6 ] 2+/3+ and [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3−/4− in aqueous solutions and by using redox probes of quinone and ferrocene in nonaqueous solutions. Diffusion‐controlled, quasi‐reversible electrode processes were achieved in four cases. The surface chemistry of the nanocrystalline 3C‐SiC film was studied by electrochemical grafting with 4‐nitrobenzenediazonium salts. The grafting was confirmed by time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy. All these results confirm that the nanocrystalline 3C‐SiC film is promising for use as an electrode material.