A chemical, morphological, and electrochemical (XPS, SEM/EDX, CV, and EIS) analysis of electrochemically modified electrode surfaces of natural chalcopyrite (CuFeS₂) and pyrite (FeS₂) in alkaline solutions

Electrodic surfaces of natural chalcopyrite and natural pyrite minerals (El Teniente mine, Chile) have been studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy including microanalysis (SEM/EDX). For comparison, fractured and polished mineral surfaces were also studied by XPS. In both electrodes, the formation of Fe(III) species containing oxygen were detected and Cu(II) species containing oxygen were additionally detected for chalcopyrite at advanced oxidation states. The presence of Cu(II) species containing oxygen was not detected by XPS for the initial oxidation states of the chalcopyrite. For pyrite, the present results do not allow confirmation of the presence of polysulfurs such as have been previously proposed. In both minerals, the measurements of SEM and EDX show relevant alterations in the respective surfaces when different potential values were applied. The chalcopyrite surface shows the formation of protrusions with a high concentration of oxygen. The pyrite surface shows a layer of modified material with high oxygen content. The modifications detected by XPS, SEM, and EDX allowed the explanation of the complexity of the equivalent circuit used to simulate the experimental EIS data. At high oxidation states, both minerals showed a pseudoinductive loop in the equivalent circuit, which was due to the active electrodissolution of the minerals which takes place through a surface film previously formed.