Chelator-Driven Synthesis of Nano-Electroless Copper on Epoxides: Insights into Surface Architecture and Electrochemical Properties

This investigation explores the electroless deposition of copper nanoparticles onto
epoxy substrates using glyoxylic acid as the reducing agent. The deposition process was
conducted under alkaline conditions, with the pH precisely maintained at 11.0 ± 0.25
using potassium hydroxide. Two distinct bath formulations were employed: one
containing glucose alone, and the other comprising a chelator mixture of glucose and
fructose to enhance complexation efficiency. Azole-based stabilizers were introduced to
fine-tune bath parameters and improve deposition control. Comprehensive
characterization of the resulting copper coatings was performed using Scanning
Electron Microscope-energy Dispersive Analysis of X-ray (SEMEDAX), Atomic force
microscopy (AFM), X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammetry (CV),
Tafel analysis, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The bath containing
the mixed chelators demonstrated superior stability and yielded high-quality, uniform
copper deposits with enhanced surface and electrochemical properties. Keywords:
Chelator, glucose, fructose, nanoparticles, stabilizers.