[Heysitsisaac]

Hello everyone, I am very intrigued by the concept of electroless (or autocatalytic) plating of metal substrates. I've read what ive been able to find on the subject but utilizing platinum group metals for this process seems limited in application.

Does anyone know of a good reference I could use for this technique or is anyone familiar with this process enough to answer a few questions?

Thank you for your assistance!

[chenbeier]

Besides Copper and Nickel autocatalytic plating (it needs a redox reaction) is not known, the platinum elements are too noble.

[Enthalpy]

Does it need to be an autocatalytic process? As the substrate is a metal, I vaguely imagine that a displacement reaction would provide the plating effect, if the substrate isn't too noble. It's done for silver and gold.

I just wonder what salts of platinum group metals are soluble. Palladium could be the easiest for that.

[chenbeier]

I think the TES want to achieve thickness without using current. This is possible with autocatalytical process. The methods what you suggest is immersion process what gives very thin layer and it stops if the metal below is covered. Thickness in nm size.

Autocatalytical process needs complex agent like EDTA, Quadrol, tartrate and reducer like formaldehyde, Hypophosphite or hydrazin, special additives for stabilizing and getting the right grain size. So used for copper or nickel.