Deposition Voltage Research Articles

Magnetic properties of bamboo-like Ni-Zn-in nanowires using 3D-AAO templates

In this paper, using three-dimensional porous alumina (3D-AAO) as a template, Ni-Zn-In nanowires array with periodically changing diameters was successfully prepared by direct current electrodeposition method. The effect of deposition voltage on the morphology, crystal structure and magnetic properties of Ni-Zn-In ternary alloy nanowires was studied. The experimental results show that the diameters of the nanowires are 212 nm and 151 nm, and the periodic length is 800 nm, which matches the pore size of the phosphoric acid-etched 3D-AAO template. XRD results indicate that the crystal structure of Ni-Zn-In nanowires can be adjusted by the deposition voltage. The VSM results reveal that the Ni-Zn-In nanowires possess soft magnetic properties and significant magnetic anisotropy, with the easy magnetization direction parallel to the film. The nanowires deposited at −1.5 V exhibit the highest coercivity of 161 Oe and squareness of 0.045. Micromagnetic simulations show that the magnetization reversal mechanism of the Ni-Zn-In nanowires is localized nucleation mode.

Design, fabrication, and hydrogen blocking performance of alumina/zirconia functional gradient coatings

When electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is employed for fabricating alumina (Al2O3)-based hydrogen barrier coatings, it becomes customary to enhance the adhesion strength by subjecting the deposited coating to high-temperature annealing. In this study, a functionally-graded Al2O3/ZrO2 coating was designed by using the thermal stress module of Ansys software. The influence of different gradient composition distribution indices, number of layers, and layer thickness on the distribution of thermal stress was systematically investigated by simulation. Based on simulation results, the gradient parameters of the functionally-graded coating were determined as follows: a transition layer with three layers, each with a thickness of 0.13 mm; the first layer consisted of Al2O3 to ZrO2 ratio of 1:3, the second layer with a ratio of 1:1, and the third layer with a ratio of 3:1. Subsequently, the process parameters for EPD of Al2O3 coating were optimized via experimental exploration. Under conditions of deposition time of 120 s, deposition voltage of 60 V, Al2O3 concentration of 8 g L−1 in the electrophoretic solution, and magnesium chloride hexahydrate concentration of 0.6 g L−1, the as-fabricated Al2O3 coating exhibited optimal hydrogen barrier performance. Finally, different proportions of ZrO2 were sequentially incorporated into the prepared Al2O3 coating to form functionally-graded materials (FGM). Thermal cycling experiments showed that the Al2O3 coating with added ZrO2 exhibited better stability at high temperatures. Regarding hydrogen barrier performance, the functionally-graded coating outperformed the non-functionally-graded coating.

A High-Performance, Low Defected, and Binder-Free Graphene-Based Supercapacitor Obtained via Synergistic Electrochemical Exfoliation and Electrophoretic Deposition Process.

An integrated electrochemical exfoliation and electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method is developed to achieve a high-performance graphene supercapacitor. The electrochemical delamination of graphite sheet has obtained a low-defected few-layer graphene adorned with oxygen-containing functional groups. Then, the EPD process produced a binder-free electrode to alleviate the graphene restacking problem. The electrode prepared using a deposition voltage of 5 V exhibits the highest specific capacitance of 145.95 F/g at 0.5 A/g from three-electrode measurement. Moreover, this EPD-prepared electrode also demonstrates superior electrochemical properties compared to electrodes fabricated using PVDF binder. In the real symmetrical cell, the EPD-prepared electrode also shows excellent performance with a high rate capability of 82.31 % (from 0.5 A/g to 10 A/g), high cycling stability of 95.00 % (at 5 A/g) after 10,000 cycles, and rapid frequency response with short relaxation time ( ) of 9.73 ms. These results indicate that this integration method is beneficial to construct a high performance binder-free supercapacitor electrode consisting of low-defected graphene materials, low electrode resistance, and less agglomeration of graphene sheets by utilizing an environmentally friendly process.

Nitrogen-enriched nanoporous polytriazine as efficient electrode material for high-performance supercapacitor application in non-aqueous medium with high cyclic stability

Nitrogen-enriched nanoporous polytriazine (NENP) synthesized by conventional heating method possesses a high specific surface area (SABET) of 966 m2 g−1, controlled pore size distribution (1.6, 5, and 8.3 nm) and total pore volume of 2.73 cm3 g−1. The synthesized specimen was utilized as an electrode material for supercapacitor (SC) application in non-aqueous media. The electrodes of NENP were fabricated by two approaches viz., conventional binder-based method and a binder-free electrophoretic deposition (EPD) approach. In case of electrode fabrication by controlled EPD process, the mass of 0.58 mg was obtained as the optimized mass achieved at pH = 2, deposition voltage = 20 V and deposition time = 6 min. The optimized electrodes and tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in adiponitrile (TEA-BF4/ADP) non-aqueous electrolyte were used to fabricate symmetric supercapacitor devices (SC). The SC device, with EPD- based binder-free electrodes, exhibited higher specific capacitance (Csp = 84 F g−1), energy density (Esp = 118.8 Wh kg−1) and power density (Psp = 17 kW kg−1) compared to SC device (49 F g−1, 68.8 Wh kg−1, and 11 kW kg−1 at 0.8 A g−1) fabricated using electrode made from the binder based method. To enhance the SC performance, KI was added as a redox additive to the non-aqueous electrolyte (TEA-BF4/ADP). The SC device, with NENP binder-free electrodes and redox-active nonaqueous electrolyte (TEA-BF4/ADP/KI), achieved the highest Csp, Esp, and Psp (112 F g−1, 150.5 Wh kg−1, and 27 kW kg−1) and demonstrated high cyclic stability (~80.2 % initial capacitance retention after 30,000 cycles, at 5 A g−1).

Preparation of MoS2/CdS/TNAs ternary composite structures and study of their photocatalytic properties

TiO2 has long been favored by researchers as a representative of semiconductor photocatalysts. Titanium dioxide nanotubes (TNAs) have a larger specific surface area, which makes them more valuable for the design of photocatalyst carriers. CdS is also a typical photocatalytic semiconductor material with a narrow bandwidth, which has a better performance in the visible light region. However, it also has certain problems such as photocorrosion. The composite MoS2 has a better inhibition effect. In this study, MoS2 and CdS were composited on TNAs using electrochemical deposition for the first time, and MoS2/CdS/TNAs (MCT) ternary composite nanostructures were successfully prepared. The effects of electrochemical deposition voltage, reaction time, and the ratios of molybdenum and sulfur sources in the electrolyte on the MCT composite structures were investigated. In this work, the photocatalytic degradation of organic water pollutants was simulated using methylene blue, and the degradation rate reached 93.1% at 150 min. After cycling the degradation experiments for five times, the photocatalysts still had good stability. The results showed that the MCT has good photocatalytic activity, which provides a feasible way for TNAs in the design of photocatalyst carriers.

The effects of electrolyte composition and deposition voltage on the copper-nickel alloy micropillars fabricated by Jet ECD

With the rapid development of micro electronic component technology, higher requirements are put forward for high performance and high precision manufacturing process. In this paper, copper-nickel alloy micropillars were manufactured by jet electrochemical deposition (Jet ECD) technology with high deposition rate, aiming to provide an effective material and process solution for the manufacture of micro-thermocouples and other components. By optimizing the process parameters such as electrolyte composition, pH value and deposition voltage, the homogeneous deposition of copper-nickel alloy micropillar was realized. The cross-section morphology and elementary composition of the deposition micropillars were characterized in detail by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results show that the adjusted formula and process parameters can stably manufacture copper-nickel alloy micropillars with a nickel-copper ratio (close to 0.8), and compact, void free microstructure.

Electrochemical polymerization of polyaniline/single-walled carbon nanotube bilayer films with enhanced thermoelectric properties

In this work, polyaniline (PANI) is coated on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) via electrochemical polymerization method to fabricate PANI/SWCNT bilayer films with enhanced thermoelectric properties. Effects of deposition time and voltage, and acid types and concentrations on the thermoelectric properties of the films are studied. The results showed that PANI layer was effectively coated on the surface of SWCNT layer by electrochemical polymerization method. In addition, carrier transport and the electrical conductivity (σ) of the PANI/SWCNT bilayer film was improved due to interfacial π-π interaction between PANI and SWCNT, and the Seebeck coefficient (S) was increased due to the energy filtering effect at the interface of PANI/SWCNT. The maximum PF of PANI/SWCNT at room temperature was 155.3 ± 7.2 μW m−1 K−2 with the σ of 654.9 ± 41.8 S cm−1 and the S of 48.7 ± 0.5 μV K−1 when the deposition voltage and time were 1.0 V and 240.0 s using 0.5 M HCl, respectively. Finally, a self-powered thermoelectric device composed of five pairs of p-n junctions was prepared with PANI/SWCNT (1 V, 240 s) as the p-type legs and copper adhesives as the n-type legs, and the maximum output power was 0.27 μW at a temperature difference of 50 K. Therefore, this demonstrates that electrochemical polymerization is a feasible and effective way of fabricating conductive polymers/carbon nanotubes bilayer films with enhanced thermoelectric properties, which have potential application in powering wearable electronics.

Communication—Texture and Bandgap Tuning of Phase Pure Cu2O Thin Films Grown by a Simple Potentiostatic Electrodeposition Technique

Highly textured phase pure Cu2O thin films have been grown by a simple electrodeposition technique with varying deposition voltages (−0.3 to −1.0 V). The surface morphology characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed that the deposited thin films coherently carpet the underlying substrate and are composed of sharp faceted well-defined grains of 0.5–1.0 μm sizes. XRD analyses showed that all films are composed of polycrystalline cubic Cu2O phase only and have average crystalline domain size in the range of 30–73 nm. The preferred crystalline orientation of phase pure Cu2O films was found to be changing from (200) to (111) with increasing cathodic voltages and showed the highest (111) and (200) crystalline texture coefficient while growing at −1.0 and −0.8 V respectively. The optical bandgap of the as-grown samples was calculated in the range of 1.95–2.20 eV using UV–vis Transmission data. The performance of Cu2O/FTO photocathodes was tested by estimating LED “ON/OFF” modulated surface photovoltage into a photoelectrochemical cell at a zero bias.

Impact of deposition voltage on the physical properties of rare earth element doped strontium sulphide for optoelectronic application

In this study, electrochemical deposition was used to synthesize SrS-doped zirconium materials at a varying voltage of deposition. The XRD result shows that SrS/Zr has a prominent peak intensity corresponding to 2theta values of 26.45o , 33.86o , 38.01o , and 51.49o . The crystal lattice is shown by the prominent peak intensity with higher 2theta degree values; the appearance of an unindexed peak is caused by the substrate utilized for the deposition. SrS surface morphology reveals a Clove-like surface with precipitate visible in the SrS micrograph; the large grain size on the surface of the substrate exhibits photon absorption but lacks any signs of pinholes. At the introduction of zirconium as a dopant to the SrS precursor, there was a drastic change in the precursor which is also noticed on the surface micrograph of the analyzed films. The films show a decrease in thickness from 129.14 to 120.09 nm and an increase in film resistivity from 1.24 x 109 to 1.29 x 109 ohm.m, which further led to a decrease in conductivity from 8.06 x 108 to 7.75 x 108 S/m. The impact of the deposition voltage on the reflectance reveals that lower voltage will stabilize the reflectance of SrS/Zr which will be useful for photovoltaic applications. SrS has an energy bandgap of 1.50 eV while SrS/Zr with bandgap energy of 2.00 – 2.50 eV.

Deposition voltages on the phase evolutions, microstructures, and oxidation behaviors of thermal-resistance Glass-MoSi2-SiC coating

ABSTRACT Due to the high oxidation activities at high temperatures, traditional SiC coating was difficult to act as an antioxidant material for ages. In this case, the multilayered Glass-MoSi2-SiC coating was fabricated on the C/C substrate, combined with hydrothermal electrophoresis deposition and simple embedding process. It was found that the composite obtained at 10 V performed outstanding combinations of oxidation resistance and thermal shock resistance properties. The weight loss of this Glass-MoSi2-SiC-C/C composite was only 0.99% after 212 h oxidation at 1773 K. After thermal shock for 130 times, the mass was just 0.05% lower than that of the initial. These excellent heat-resistant performances were much better than those in similar reports, which was attributed to the suitable coating composition and dense interlayer structure. As oxidized at 1773 K, the in-situ SiO2 phases had a self-healing ability to fill micropores and microcracks to protect the structure. The structure failure was related to SiO2 volatilization. This study emphasized the importance of simple techniques in the thermal-resistance coating fields at multiple length scales.

Electrochemical deposition of hydrothermally pretreated TiO2 on aluminium substrate through the formation of peroxotitanium complex and their application towards visible light assisted photocurrent generation

Herein, we report a novel method for the electrochemical deposition of TiO2 on Al substrate through the formation of peroxotitanium complex without any post heat treatment process. The alkaline treated titanium precursors were used as an electrolyte and TiO2 was deposited onto aluminium substrate by both cathodic reduction and electrophoretic deposition through the formation of peroxotitanium complex. The electrodeposition process was optimized by varying the pH, concentration of the electrolyte, deposition voltage, time and area of the electrode respectively. The optimized condition to obtain a maximum yield is as follows: voltage (4.5 V), time (2.5 h), pH (5) and area of the electrode 3 × 3 cm2. The deposits were then characterized using various material characterization techniques such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy respectively. The morphological analysis showed the deposition of nanocrystalline TiO2 with irregular morphology on Al substrate. The AFM revealed a non-uniform deposition of TiO2 with high surface roughness (average roughness: 44.60 nm). The XRD pattern and Raman spectrum confirmed the presence of anatase phase of TiO2. The obtained TiO2 were then subjected to photoelectrochemical studies by coating over an ITO electrode. The nanocrystalline TiO2 showed excellent photocurrent response which could be due to the short hole retrieval and fast electron transport across the electrode-electrolyte interface. The proposed method can be promising towards the industrial application for the extraction and recovery of TiO2 from the mineral ore residues and spent mining waste.

PANDA: a self-driving lab for studying electrodeposited polymer films.

We introduce the polymer analysis and discovery array (PANDA), an automated system for high-throughput electrodeposition and functional characterization of polymer films. The PANDA is a custom, modular, and low-cost system based on a CNC gantry that we have modified to include a syringe pump, potentiostat, and camera with a telecentric lens. This system can perform fluid handling, electrochemistry, and transmission optical measurements on samples in custom 96-well plates that feature transparent and conducting bottoms. We begin by validating this platform through a series of control fluid handling and electrochemistry experiments to quantify the repeatability, lack of cross-contamination, and accuracy of the system. As a proof-of-concept experimental campaign to study the functional properties of a model polymer film, we optimize the electrochromic switching of electrodeposited poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) films. In particular, we explore the monomer concentration, deposition time, and deposition voltage using an array of experiments selected by Latin hypercube sampling. Subsequently, we run an active learning campaign based upon Bayesian optimization to find the processing conditions that lead to the highest electrochromic switching of PEDOT:PSS. This self-driving lab integrates optical and electrochemical characterization to constitute a novel, automated approach for studying functional polymer films.

Operational experience of a low beam coupling impedance injection kicker magnet for the CERN SPS ring

The CERN SPS injection kicker magnets (MKP) were developed in the 1970’s, before beam power deposition was considered an issue. There are two types of these magnets in the SPS: MKP-S (small aperture) and MKP-L (large aperture) versions. The MKP-L magnets are very lossy from a beam impedance perspective: this would be an issue during SPS operation with the higher intensity beams needed in the future for HL-LHC. Hence, a beam screen has been developed, which is inserted in the aperture of each MKP-L module. The screen consists of silver fingers applied to alumina U-shaped chambers: the fingers have been optimized to achieve both adequately low beam induced power deposition and good high voltage (HV) behaviour. A surface coating, with a low secondary electron yield, is applied to the inner surface of the alumina chambers to reduce dynamic vacuum. The low-impedance MKP-L has been extensively HV tested in the lab before installation in the SPS. This paper briefly presents the design and focuses on the operational experience in the SPS, including heating and vacuum.

EFFECT OF ELECTROPHORETIC DEPOSITION PARAMETERS ON COATING THICKNESS AND DEPOSIT YIELD OF NON-COLLOIDAL GRAPHITE PARTICLES

Electrophoretic Deposition (EPD) has become a method for fabricating and enhancing electrodes for electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices. This article explores the impact of dominant EPD parameters on the deposit yield and coating thickness of graphite produced from an organic-based graphite particle suspension. The deposit yield follows a linear Hamaker's law at voltages below 50 V, with a deposition time of up to 5 minutes and solid loading between 2.5 to 12.5 mg/mL. The study also demonstrates the successful deposition of negatively charged and non-colloidal sized graphite particles, which are previously dispersed in n-butylamine-acetone without the use of charging or binding additives. This later forms a coating with a relatively strong binding strength of graphite particles on the steel anode. EPD of graphite suspension with a concentration of 5 mg/mL at a deposition voltage of 10 V and 5 minutes deposition time is capable of producing a graphite coating thickness of 70 mm. This research demonstrates the high-yield capability of EPD of organic-based graphite particles on metal anode and provides valuable insight for future investigations into application of binderless graphite suspension particles for electrode materials in energy storage systems.

Influence of deposition voltage on tribological properties of W-WS2 coatings deposited by electrospark deposition

Electrospark deposition coatings were prepared with different deposition voltage on CrNi3MoVA steel substrates by using a W-WS2 sintered electrode and their tribological properties were investigated. The microhardness, roughness and tribological properties of the coatings were tested by using Vickers hardness tester, confocal laser scanning microscope and tribometer, and the morphologies, composition and phase structure were obtained by utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDS) and X-ray diffraction(XRD). The results showed that with the increase of deposition voltage, the hardness and roughness of the coatings increase. The coatings remarkably increase the tribological properties of CrNi3MoVA steel, and among the three coatings deposited at 40 V, 60 V and 80 V, the coating deposited at 60 V has the smallest friction coefficient and the best wear resistance.

Water-in-Salt Electrolytes for Reversible Zinc Electrodeposition for Dynamic Windows

Reversible metal electrodeposition (RME) is an emerging and promising method for designing dynamic windows with electrically controllable transmission, excellent color neutrality, and wide dynamic range. Despite its very negative deposition voltage, Zn is a viable option for metal-based dynamic windows due to its fast switching kinetics and reversibility. In this manuscript, we describe the construction of Zn RME dynamic windows using water-in-salt electrolytes (WISe). By systematically comparing different electrolytes, we study the effects of different WISe components on Zn RME spectroelectrochemistry. This insight allows us to design practical two-electrode 25 cm2 Zn dynamic windows, the first examples of RME devices with WISe. We also establish a link between the morphology of the Zn electrodeposits and the optical contrast of the transparent electrodes during switching. Taken together, these studies highlight a potential design strategy for the construction of RME dynamic windows.

Novel application of electrochemical test for the controllable electrodeposition of Cu2O and metallic Cu film

As important industrial materials, the preparation of metallic copper and cuprous oxide (Cu2O) film is a hotspot in related fields. In this work, Cu2O and metallic copper films were controllably fabricated on the conductive substrate in an electrolyte containing 0.02 M cupric acetate and 0.1 M sodium acetate at different voltages. Linear sweep voltammetry test, as an effective way, was used to determine the selection of electrodeposition voltage. Pure Cu2O film can be prepared at a lower deposition voltage, and metallic copper film can be obtained at a higher deposition voltage and a longer deposition time. The obtained Cu2O film has complex surface morphology and exhibited n-type conductivity. The composition and morphology of the films were related to the deposition voltage. These results provide a new strategy and sight for the controllable preparation of cuprous oxide and metallic copper in the field of solar cells and integrated circuits.

YSZ–Al2O3 thermal barrier nanocomposites coatings: Electrophoretic deposition and characterization

AbstractThis paper presents the development of yttria‐stabilized zirconia–alumina (YSZ–Al2O3) nanocomposite coatings deposited on Inconel 738LC superalloy substrates using the electrophoretic deposition technique. To prepare stable suspensions of YSZ and Al2O3 nanoparticles, a mixture of 75 mL acetone and 25 mL ethanol was used as a medium with .4 g/L iodine as a dispersant. The effects of Al2O3 concentration on suspension stability, electrical conductivity, and pH were studied in detail to optimize the suspension chemistry. The deposition kinetics were systematically investigated as a function of suspension concentration, deposition voltage, deposition time, and iodine concentration () to optimize the process parameters. The as‐dried coatings deposited at Vd = 10 V for 90 s were uniform, crack‐free, and sintered at 1150°C for 4 h. The microstructure, phase composition, hardness, and adhesion strength of the coatings were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Vickers microhardness measurements, and conducting shear loading tests, respectively. The results showed that adding Al2O3 to YSZ reduces porosity, crack density, and sintering temperature while stabilizing the tetragonal phase and retarding the martensitic transformation and crack formation. Among the studied coatings, the YSZ–20 wt.% Al2O3 nanocomposite coating deposited at Vd = 10 V for 90 s exhibited the most improved microstructural features, hardness, and adhesion strength.

Effect of deposition voltage on the properties of electrodeposited CdZrS thin films for solar cell application

The electrodeposition procedure was carried out utilizing a two-electrode system on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates, with the deposition voltage for CdS set at 1450 mV and for CdZrS at the range of 1450, 1550, and 1600 mV. The structural results show that both CdS and CdZrS thin films exhibit cubic structure. Surface image analysis shows that the FTO substrate was covered by film. The shape and grain size of the films is varied with deposition voltage. Elemental composition analysis confirmed the presence of desired elements Cd, Zr, and S on the deposited samples. CdS and CdZrS surfaces have an average surface roughness in the range of (3.2−19.6) nm. The optical properties of the films revealed a bandgap energy of 2.25 eV for CdS and (2.09−2.39) eV for CdZrS. The electrodeposited CdZrS thin films have potential applications as buffer layers in solar cell devices.

Electrical, mechanical and damage self-sensing properties of basalt fiber reinforced polymer composites modified by electrophoretic deposition

In this work, basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) with enhanced electrical, mechanical properties and in-situ damage self-sensing capability was prepared using carboxylic carbon nanotubes (COOH-CNTs) modified BF fabrics via electrophoretic deposition (EPD) at different voltages. The BFRP with BF fabrics modified at a deposition voltage of 20 ​V (EPD20-BFRP) showed the lowest electrical resistivity. Compared with unmodified BFRP, the tensile and flexual moduli of EPD20-BFRP increased by 37.5 ​% and 14.9 ​%, respectively. Single-layer EPD20-BFRP exhibited a high gauge factor (GF) of 44.3 during tensile damage self-sensing. The acoustic emission (AE) signals during tensile and flexual damage process agreed well with the relative resistance changes (RRC), which confirmed different damage stages within loading process, such as elastic deformation, damage evolution, crack coalescence, and complete fracture. In addition, the multi-layer BFRP containing a single-layer EPD20-BFRP on the upper or lower surface of laminate exhibited distinct electrical signal responses subjected to the flexural loading.