An explicit analytical equation applicable to the study of reversible ion transfer at systems with two liquid/liquid polarizable interfaces is presented. This expression is valid for any multipotential step technique, which are all very adequate for the determination of standard transfer potentials and transport parameters of ions. The expression of the I/E response for linear sweep voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry can also be deduced as a particular case of this equation. The general solution given here is formally similar to that obtained for the application of any multipotential step sequence to a system with a single polarizable interface, since the method followed here is based on the same premises.

An in-depth study of metal assisted chemical etching (MACE) of p-type c-Si in HF/HO aqueous solutions using Pt nanoparticles as catalysts is presented. Combination of cyclic voltammetry, open circuit measurements, chronoamperometry, impedance spectroscopy, and 2D band bending modeling of the metal/semiconductor/electrolyte interfaces at the nanoscale and under different etching conditions allows gaining physical insights into this system. Additionally, in an attempt to mimic the etching conditions, the modeling has been performed with a positively biased nanoparticle buried in the Si substrate. Following these findings, the application of an external polarization during etching is introduced as a novel efficient approach for achieving straightforward control of the pore morphology by acting upon the band bending at the Si/electrolyte junction. In this way, nanostructures ranging from straight mesopores to cone-shaped macropores are obtained as the Si sample is biased from negative to positive potentials. Remarkably, macroscopic cone-shaped pores in the 1-5 μm size range with a high aspect ratio (L/W ∼ 1.6) are obtained by this method. This morphology leads to a reduction of the surface reflectance below 5% over the entire VIS-NIR domain, which outperforms macrostructures made by state of the art texturization techniques for Si solar cells.

A general analytical expression has been deduced for the I/E response of the square wave voltammetry corresponding to ion transfer processes in systems with two liquid/liquid polarized interfaces. This expression has been evaluated through the experimental study of a series of quaternary ammonium cations and metal chloro complex anions. We have found that systems with two liquid/liquid polarizable interfaces present the striking advantage that the difference between peak potentials of square wave voltammograms of cations and anions with similar standard ion transfer potential is much greater than in systems with a single polarizable one.