Abstract
This communication demonstrates the success in the anodic deposition of hydrous ruthenium oxide (denoted as RuO 2 ·xH 2 O) from RuCl 3 ·xH 2 O in aqueous media with/without adding acetate ions (CH 3 COO - , AcO - ) as the complex agent. The benefits of as-deposited RuO 2 ·xH 2 O include the low electron-hopping resistance and the low contact resistance at the Ti-RuO 2 ·xH 2 O interface which are clarified in electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) studies. The cycling stability, specific capacitance, and power performance of as-deposited RuO 2 ·xH 2 O are further improved by annealing in air at 150 °C for 2 h. The morphologies of as-deposited and annealed RuO 2 ·xH 2 O films, examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), are very similar to that of thermally decomposed RuO 2 . The high onset frequencies of 660 and 1650 Hz obtained from EIS spectra for the as-deposited and annealed RuO 2 ·xH 2 O films, respectively, definitely illustrate the high-power merits of both oxide films prepared by means of the anodic deposition without considering the advantages of its simplicity, one-step, reliability, low cost, and versatility for electrode preparation. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.