Cathy Molina
Anodic Deposition of Praseodymium Oxide
Praseodymium oxide is a versatile and useful material as can be seen by its use in ceramics as pigments, electronics as high-k dielectric materials, and in sensors for electrochromic windows. Two areas of interest for praseodymium oxide films include the use of this material as an ethanol sensor and as a catalyst for hydrogen production. We are interested in producing thin films and powders by electrochemical methods. Initially, our group successfully deposited praseodymium oxide by a cathodic deposition process. However these films tend to be powdery and did not adhere well to substrates. This work is exploring the anodic deposition of praseodymium oxide as a direct redox method. Depositing the Pr-films electrochemically is more convenient than previous methods due to the mild conditions. The deposition can take place at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Since the anodic method is an oxidation reduction reaction it provides more adherent films than the cathodic method which is a precipitation reaction.
