I attempted to make copper sulfate today by creating a near saturated solution of magnesium sulfate (in water) and electrolyzed the solution with copper diodes.However, the resulting mixture was a heterogeneous mix of a clear looking liquid and a yellow-brown precipitate at the bottom. I filtered the mixture once, and the precipitate that filtered out was a dark yellowish brown color.After doing this, the filtered solution was still a light yellow color. I know that a copper sulfate solution is supposed to be light blue, so I know that something is wrong here.What do I have in my filtered solution? Is it some kind of compound with sulfur, creating the yellow color? Also, the cathode was black instead of the natural copper color, and it would not wash off.Bonus: How do I remove the black coating on the copper?Thanks!
copper diodes?? ! do you mean copper electrodes? Is that what was wrong? Magnesium ions will not be removed in this electrolysis as H+ ions are discharged instead but the Cu anode should give Cu2+ ions Light yellowy colour suggest iron somewhere?
