Prussian blue and Prussian white thin-film electrodes: Single-step electrodeposition for anode and cathode applications
Abstract
This study examines how deposition potential influences the composition and nanoscale structure of Prussian Blue (PB)/Prussian White (PW)-family films, providing an experimental basis for assessing their proposed functions. Films were grown directly on Au/Cr/Si in a single potentiostatic step from a common aqueous bath at −0.20 to +0.40\,V versus a saturated calomel electrode, with a fixed deposition charge of 10\,mC. Electron microscopy, elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy revealed potential-dependent chemistry and nonmonotonic morphology. EDS indicated greater K incorporation in lower-potential deposits, whose Fe~2p and Raman features were consistent with more reduced, PW-like environments. Surface K/Fe ratios varied nonmonotonically from 1.129 to 1.322 across the series, corresponding to 52.95--56.94\% K within the detected K+Fe population. Larger faceted crystallites at +0.30\,V contrasted with finer pyramids and cracks at +0.40\,V. Selected PB-like and PW-like regions had local cubic lattice parameters of (10.31±0.10)\,Å and (10.36±0.10)\,Å, respectively; their overlapping uncertainties prevent discrimination by lattice spacing alone. Cross-sectional maps showed broadly uniform framework-element distributions within locally continuous coatings. Together, these observations relate deposition conditions to contrasting chemical and morphological starting states without establishing bulk stoichiometry or phase purity. A literature-grounded outlook identifies ion storage, sensing, electrochromism, resistive switching, and ion handling as research opportunities requiring functional validation in these films.
Related
- Copper electrodeposition localized in picoliter droplets using microcantilever arrays
- Generation of tunable wavelength coherent states and heralded single photons for quantum optics applications
- Effect of Stress and Surface Roughness on Electrodeposition in All-Solid-State Batteries: A Computational Investigation
- Electrolyte Dependent Structure Transport Relationships in Electrodeposited Prussian Blue Analogue Thin Films
- Modeling electrodeposition of thin films with compact, dendritic, and random morphologies
BibTeX
@misc{pohlitz2026prussian,
title = {{Prussian blue and Prussian white thin-film electrodes: Single-step electrodeposition for anode and cathode applications}},
author = {Michael Pohlitz and Mohammed Fayis Kalady and Larissa de O. Garcia and Lindiomar Borges de Avila Jr and Darius Pohl and Falk Röder and Flavio Abreu Araujo and Axel Lubk and Daniel Wolf and Christian K. Müller},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.37023},
eprint = {2610.37023},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.37023},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Prussian blue and Prussian white thin-film electrodes: Single-step electrodeposition for anode and cathode applications
AU - Michael Pohlitz
AU - Mohammed Fayis Kalady
AU - Larissa de O. Garcia
AU - Lindiomar Borges de Avila Jr
AU - Darius Pohl
AU - Falk Röder
AU - Flavio Abreu Araujo
AU - Axel Lubk
AU - Daniel Wolf
AU - Christian K. Müller
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.37023
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.37023
AB - This study examines how deposition potential influences the composition and nanoscale structure of Prussian Blue (PB)/Prussian White (PW)-family films, providing an experimental basis for assessing their proposed functions. Films were grown directly on Au/Cr/Si in a single potentiostatic step from a common aqueous bath at −0.20 to +0.40\,V versus a saturated calomel electrode, with a fixed deposition charge of 10\,mC. Electron microscopy, elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy revealed potential-dependent chemistry and nonmonotonic morphology. EDS indicated greater K incorporation in lower-potential deposits, whose Fe~2p and Raman features were consistent with more reduced, PW-like environments. Surface K/Fe ratios varied nonmonotonically from 1.129 to 1.322 across the series, corresponding to 52.95--56.94\% K within the detected K+Fe population. Larger faceted crystallites at +0.30\,V contrasted with finer pyramids and cracks at +0.40\,V. Selected PB-like and PW-like regions had local cubic lattice parameters of (10.31±0.10)\,Å and (10.36±0.10)\,Å, respectively; their overlapping uncertainties prevent discrimination by lattice spacing alone. Cross-sectional maps showed broadly uniform framework-element distributions within locally continuous coatings. Together, these observations relate deposition conditions to contrasting chemical and morphological starting states without establishing bulk stoichiometry or phase purity. A literature-grounded outlook identifies ion storage, sensing, electrochromism, resistive switching, and ion handling as research opportunities requiring functional validation in these films.
ER -