Electrochemical\nFormation of Pb Microwires with Tunable\nMorphology on Liquid Metal Electrodes

Liquid metal electrodes based on Ga are an emerging area\nof interest\ngiven their fluid properties which can have significant impact on\nelectrochemical processes. Here we study metal electrodeposition,\nnamely lead electrodeposition on the liquid metal electrodes, gallium\n(Ga) and galinstan (GaInSn), which was performed in two different\nPb<sup>2+</sup> electrolytes (PbCl<sub>2</sub> and Pb(NO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>) to investigate any differences in the nature of the\nelectrodeposit. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were used\nto study the characteristics, kinetics, and nucleation and growth\nmechanisms of the electrodeposition process. Analysis of this electrochemical\ndata, such as current density-time transients and diffusion coefficients\nunder different potentials, revealed distinct behaviors for Pb deposition\nat each liquid metal and electrolyte, influencing the final morphology\nof the lead deposit. It was also found that the electrolyte concentration\nand deposition time were found to impact the morphology of the electrodeposited\nPb. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy\nrevealed various types of Pb microstructures, including wire, branch-like,\nand flake-like formations, highlighting the differences in lead structural\ndevelopment when deposited on liquid gallium and Galinstan electrodes.