Vinegar Electrolysis: Dark Brown Material + Blue Solution

[MadM]

I tried vinegar electrolysis using 2 copper electrodes and 9v adaptor
it gave dark brown material on the (-) electrode
blue solution
what is the blue solution? since i used white vinegar (which contains water) could it be copper hydroxide?or copper acetate?
what is the brown material on the cathode?

 

[Borek]

Blue is most likely copper aqua complex.

 

[MadM]

? what is this exactly? is there an exact formula of it?

 

[Borek]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_aquo_complex

(apparently the correct spelling is aquo, sorry about that; English names are terra incognita to me)

 

[MadM]

Thanks for this infos
But why is it aquo? why not acetate or hydroxide ? how can i make sure it is aquo and not another copper compound??

 

[MadM]

And another thing
Is this aquo the same thing as colloid?

 

[Borek]

But why is it aquo? why not acetate or hydroxide ? how can i make sure it is aquo and not another copper compound??

Hydroxide is a solid. Some copper acetate complex is possible, but how much - depends on the vinegar concentration and complex stability constants.

Is this aquo the same thing as colloid?

No. Hydroxide is a solid, aquo complex is a dissolved cation (whatever the counter ion is).