Morphology and Microstructure in Electrochemical Deposition of Zinc

We report an experiment in the Ohmically-limited electrochemical deposition of zinc which explicitly probes the link between microscopic structure and macroscopic morphology in the development of interfacial patterns far from equilibrium. We report a previously unrecognized transition region between diffusion-limited aggregation and dendritic growth; analysis of the microstructure suggests mechanisms for the macroscopic expression of crystalline anisotropy. We also report the discovery of a metastable crystalline form of zinc produced during electrodeposition.