Electrochemical Synthesis of Binary and Ternary Niobium-Containing Oxide Electrodes Using the p-Benzoquinone/Hydroquinone Redox Couple.

New electrochemical synthesis methods have been developed to obtain layered potassium niobates, KNb3O8 and K4Nb6O17, and perovskite-type KNbO3 as film-type electrodes. The electrodes were synthesized from aqueous solutions using the redox chemistry of p-benzoquinone and hydroquinone to change the local pH at the working electrode to trigger deposition of desired phases. In particular, the utilization of electrochemically generated acid via the oxidation of hydroquinone for inorganic film deposition was first demonstrated in this study.