Growth and morphology tuning of ordered nickel nanocones routed by one-step pulse electrodeposition
Abstract
Metallic surface nano-array structures receive considerable interests for their versatile applications, and the cost-effective fabrication of such coatings is a constant pursuit. In this work, a one-step template-free pulse electrodeposition (PED) approach was utilized to fabricate a nickel plating of fine-crystal ordered nanocone. By adjusting the pulse current waveform, the mass transportation and nucleation on the cathode during the PED were manipulated so the fine morphology of the Ni nanocones can be readily tuned with nanometric uniformity. Detailed crystallographic analysis verified that a single nanocone grew along 〈1 1 0〉 direction based on a five-fold annular twinning structure. The conical geometry as well as the nanoscale fine structure endowed the PED-obtained Ni plating with superior physiochemical properties such as superhydrophobicity, light absorbency, as well as stable hydrogen evolution activity, proving PED to be a facile approach of engineering functional metallic surface at nanoscale.
- Publication:
-
Applied Surface Science
- Pub Date:
- April 2020
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.145291
- Bibcode:
- 2020ApSS..50845291C
- Keywords:
-
- Pulse electrodeposition;
- Nickel nanocone;
- Five-fold twinning;
- Hydrophobicity;
- Light absorbency;
- Hydrogen evolution