One-step Electrodeposition Method Research Articles

Capacitor properties of 3D hierarchical structured electrodes prepared by one-step electrodeposition of cobalt nanowires on stainless steel fiber sheets

Redox or pseudo-capacitors using a cobalt (II) hydroxide (Co(OH)2) material have been regarded as promising options for renewable energy storage. In this study, we deposited cobalt nanowires with a Co(OH)2 surface layer on a newly developed stainless steel fiber sheet by a one-step electrodeposition method, without any templates, to form a 3D hierarchical structured electrode. This electrode achieved a specific capacitance of 880 F g−1 at a current density of 1.8 A g−1, which is much higher than the values attained with cobalt-nanowire-deposited stainless steel (200 F g−1) and indium-tin-oxide-coated glass (455 F g−1) plates. Moreover, the cobalt nanowire electrode coupled with a nickel-plated stainless steel fiber sheet exhibited increasing capacitance performance with repeated charge–discharge cycles, eventually developing approximately twice the capacity of the above electrode. These results demonstrate the potential of stainless steel fiber sheets for developing high-performance redox capacitors using a very facile method.

Thermo-driven oleogel-based self-healing slippery surface behaving superior corrosion inhibition to Mg-Li alloy

Bioinspired by Nepenthes, lubricant infused surfaces (LIS) have attracted widespread attention in the field of anticorrosion. However, the lubricant coating has some disadvantages such as complex construction processing and easy loss of oil phase in air or dynamic water phase. In this study, oleogel is infused into a lotus leaf inspired super-hydrophobic matrix to form an oleogel infused surface (OIS) for enhancing corrosion resistance of active Mg-Li alloy. For reserving oleogel, firstly, a facile one-step electrodeposition method is used to construct super-hydrophobic surface (SHS) composed by samarium/myristic acid complex micro-nano flower structure onto Mg-Li alloy. The coating exhibits excellent superhydrophobic property at a static contact angle of 160° by applying 30 V electrolysis for 30 min. The protection efficiency of single SHS highly relates with the metal itself. For short period immersion in water phase, SHS can afford protection to Mg-Li alloy. However, the long-term immersion will see the rapid failure of SHS, and the high activity of Mg-Li alloy is one main reason. We assume that SHS cannot be a good choice for protecting Mg-Li alloy. Then, a Nepenthes inspired liquid coating is formed by infusing oleogel into the micro-nano structure by a spin-coating method. The liquid coating performs prominent corrosion resistance with Rct reaching as high as 1.51 × 1010 Ω cm². After the mechanical damage from the external environment, the liquid coating can realize self-repair through thermal assistance, and the liquid coating can still restore Rct up to 1.24 × 1010 Ω cm2 after healing. The corrosion resistance of the liquid coating remains strong by showing Rct as high as 1.14 × 109 Ω cm², even after immersion in representative corrosive 3.5 wt% NaCl solution for 30 d.

Cu Nanoparticles Modified Step-Scheme Cu2O/WO3 Heterojunction Nanoflakes for Visible-Light-Driven Conversion of CO2 to CH4.

In this study, Cu and Cu2O hybrid nanoparticles were synthesized onto the WO3 nanoflake film using a one-step electrodeposition method. The critical advance is the use of a heterojunction consisting of WO3 flakes and Cu2O as an innovative stack design, thereby achieving excellent performance for CO2 photoreduction with water vapor under visible light irradiation. Notably, with the modified Cu nanoparticles, the selectivity of CH4 increased from nearly 0% to 96.7%, while that of CO fell down from 94.5% to 0%. The yields of CH4, H2 and O2 reached 2.43, 0.32 and 3.45 mmol/gcat after 24 h of visible light irradiation, respectively. The boosted photocatalytic performance primarily originated from effective charge-transfer in the heterojunction and acceleration of electron-proton transfer in the presence of Cu nanoparticles. The S-scheme charge transfer mode was further proposed by the in situ-XPS measurement. In this regard, the heterojunction construction showed great significance in the design of efficient catalysts for CO2 photoreduction application.

Bifunctional Ni–Fe–CoSe2 nanosheets electrodeposited on Ni foam for efficient catalysis of the oxidation of water and urea

Trimetallic selenides as bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and urea oxidation reaction (UOR) have rarely been reported. Herein, we successfully synthesized nickel-iron-cobalt diselenides on the nickel foam (NiFeCoSe2) by a one-step electrodeposition method. The as-prepared NiFeCoSe2 nanosheets on nickel foam (NF) exhibited significantly improved electrocatalytic performance and stability in a highly alkaline medium (1 M KOH) with and without 0.33 M urea. In particular, the obtained NiFeCoSe2 only requires a potential of 1.52 V (vs. RHE) for OER and 1.37 V (vs. RHE) for UOR to achieve a current density of 50 mA cm−2, along with a stability of 30 h. This was attributed to the unique interconnected nanosheets, binder-free in-situ selenium electrodeposition, synergistic effect, and strong electron interaction of Ni, Fe, Co, and Se elements. This study provides a new avenue for the construction of multimetal selenide electrocatalysts with excellent properties for the oxidation of water and urea.

Electrodeposited crumpled MoS2 nanoflakes for asymmetric supercapacitor

Transition metal chalcogenides are gaining attraction in the emerging energy-storing field owing to their captivating properties. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) was deposited on Ni foam by using a one-step electrodeposition method. X-ray diffraction study showed that the deposited MoS2 was amorphous, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the presence of Mo and S in the 4+ and 2+ oxidation states. Different nanostructures were observed by varying the deposition time, and MoS2 deposited for 300 s has an interconnected crumpled-nanoflake structure. The electrochemical performance of MoS2 electrodes was investigated between 0.2 and 1 V vs. SCE potential in 1M Na2SO4 electrolyte and the interconnected crumpled-nanoflake structure showed a maximum areal capacitance of 416.9 mFcm−2 at a current density of 1 mAcm−2. The charge storage kinetics of electrodes showed the diffusion-controlled contribution is greater than the capacitive-controlled contribution for MS-300 electrode. Also capacitive-controlled contribution is proportional to the scan rates. An asymmetric device was assembled using activated carbon and MoS2 as negative and positive electrodes respectively, which exhibited an areal capacitance of 277.3 mFcm−2 and energy density of 0.15 mWhcm−2 at 5.33 mWcm−2 power density measured at 3 mAcm−2 current density. Furthermore, 90.1% cyclability and excellent coulombic efficiency measured up to 3000 cycles were observed for an asymmetric device. These results depict the potential candidature of MoS2 and MoS2//AC devices as an emerging energy storing devices.

One-step preparation of MnO2 electrode for secondary aqueous zinc ion batteries by electrodeposition

As the cathode material, manganese oxides have been a research hotspot in the secondary aqueous zinc ion batteries due to their various advantages such as multiple crystal structures, low-cost, and environmentally friendliness. However, most of the current research focuses on the material modification, and little research has been done on the development of synthesis methods. Herein, a MnO2 electrode is directly prepared by a one-step electrodeposition method from the aqueous solution containing manganese ions. It is found that a porous electrode with the nano MnO2 particulates as the active material can be obtained from the 0.3 M MnSO4 solution. The porous structure provides numerous reaction sites that facilitates the electrochemical processes on the electrode. As a result, it delivers the area specific capacity of 0.35 mAh cm−2 at the current density of 0.5 mA cm−2 and a high coulombic efficiency of 100% after 1000 cycles at 1.5 mA cm−2. These excellent electrochemical properties suggest that this convenient one-step electrodeposition method can be effectively applied for the large-scale commercialization of the aqueous zinc ion batteries.

Corrosion and antimicrobial behavior of stainless steel prepared by one-step electrodeposition of silver at the grain boundaries

Introducing Ag to the surface is a common means to obtain an antibacterial product. However, the poor adhesion between coating and substrate often results in a non-durable antibacterial performance. Herein, we developed a simple one-step pulse-reverse electrodeposition method to introduce Ag particles into the grain boundaries of 304 stainless steel (304 SS) surface for a stable and long-acting antibacterial application. In the present method, the grain boundary was preferentially corroded as the potential “seat” for Ag particles, and the surface content of Ag upgraded to 0.57 at.% by optimizing the electrolyte, electrodeposition temperature, reaction time, and current density. Without deteriorating the corrosion resistance of the substrate, the 304 SS with Ag particles demonstrated considerable antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus even after ultrasonic treatment or accelerated abrasion. Consequently, the current study proposes a facile strategy for the production of durable antibacterial stainless steel.

Surfactant-modified graphene oxide complex-coating functionalized material with robust switchable oil/water wettability for high-performance on-demand emulsion separation

Designing and developing advanced materials with reversible switching wettability are highly desirable for on-demand separation of oil/water emulsions. An advanced nanostructured porous membrane material with strong switchable wettability is successfully fabricated by depositing a modified graphene oxide complex onto metal meshes via a simple one-step electrodeposition method. Membranes with hydrophilic and underwater-superoleophobic properties can be converted to superhydrophobicity after rinsing with organic solvents, and they enable to be triggered back to the initial wettability by the negative electrical potential. As demonstrated, this wettability switch is driven by a change in the orientation of the molecular structure. Integrated with nanostructure, proper pore size, and switchable wettability, the mesh membrane realizes on-demand immiscible oil/water mixture and oil/water emulsion separation without energy-consumption. In addition, the corrosion resistance and simplicity of the system show great potential for practical applications.

Electrodeposition chemistry for high-performance I2 cathode

The weak composite driving force of current physical composite technologies cannot maximize the accommodation ability of introduced conductive substrate I2 element and leads to ineffective loading. Insufficient interaction and sluggish charge transfer are not conducive to efficient conversion chemistry and the cycle durability of I2 composite electrodes. Herein, a one-step electrodeposition method is developed to realize the binder-free I2 electrodes using small I− as the precursor. Its exceptional conversion chemistry with high reversibility is verified in a typical aqueous Zn system. Specifically, the obtained carbon cloth-I2 cathode exhibits favorable conversion completion and delivers a high 195 mAh g−1 capacity at 0.5 A g−1. Upon an ultrahigh current density of 4.5 A g−1, satisfactory capacity retention of up to 60% can be achieved. More importantly, with 19% capacity decay, the battery can stably cycle for 2000 cycles with a coulombic efficiency of nearly 100%. The anti-self-discharging function gets significantly enhanced and is accompanied by a low voltage decay rate of 13 mV h−1, benefiting from strong interaction. This universal electrodeposition is excepted to lead the I2 electrodes nearer to commercial requirements.

Research on wettability of nickel coating changes induced in the electrodeposition process

• The sample-based stochastic convergence analysis were adopted to estimate the uncertainty. • Appling CCD method to design electrodeposition experiment selected five main electrodeposition parameters as variables. • Surrogate coupling models was established based on experimental results. • The concentration of ion and brightener have significant effects on the wettability of the coating. In this study, nickel coatings were electrodeposited on copper substrate. The effect of electrodeposition process parameters on surface morphology and wettability of nickel coatings were studied, such as ions source, anode activator, pH buffer, brightener and current density. According to the experiment plan established by Central Composite Design (CCD) with five parameters as mentioned above, nickel coatings have been fabricated on the copper sample using one-step electrodeposition method. Then, response surface methodology was utilized to establish surrogate models based on the static contact angle of nickel coatings which were measured by water liquids. 3D digital microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed rough hierarchical structure, surface morphology and chemical composition on the coating surface, respectively. Subsequently, a sampling-based stochastic model was devoted to weigh the effects of uncertainty in each electrodeposition process parameter on the variability of water contact angle. According to the obtained results, the concentration of brightener as well as ions source greatly affects the wettability of nickel coating. The method of uncertainty analysis can be applied to study the uncertain influence factors in electrochemistry research.

Application of electrodeposited Cu-metal nanoflake structures as 3D current collector in lithium-metal batteries

Since uncontrolled lithium (Li) dendrite growth and dendrite-induced dead Li severely limit the development of Li metal batteries, 3D Cu current collectors can effectively alleviate these problems during Li plating/stripping. Herein, one-step galvanostatic electrodeposition method is employed to fabricate a new current collector on Cu foam decorated with large-scale and uniform 3D porous Cu-based nanoflake (NF) structures (abbreviated as 3D Cu NF@Cu foam). This 3D structure with large internal surface areas not only generates lithophilic surface copper oxides and hydroxides as charge centers and nucleation sites for Li insertion/extraction, but also endows abundant space with interlinked NFs for buffering the cell volume expansion and increasing battery performance. As a result, Li-deposited 3D Cu NF@Cu foam current collector can realize stable cycling over 455 cycles with an average Coulombic efficiency of 98.8% at a current density of 1.0 mA cm−2, as well as a prolonged lifespan of >380 cycles in symmetrical cell without short-circuit, which are superior to those of blank Cu foam current collector. This work realizes Li metal anode stabilization by constructing 3D porous Cu NFs current collectors, which can advance the development of Li metal anode for battery industries.

Direct Electrodeposition of Bimetallic Nanostructures on Co-Based MOFs for Electrochemical Sensing of Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is the most significant reactive oxygen species in biological systems. Here, we reported an electrochemical sensor for the detection of H2O2 on the basis of bimetallic gold-platinum nanoparticles (Au3Pt7 NPs) supported by Co-based metal organic frameworks (Co-MOFs). First, Au3Pt7 NPs, with optimal electrocatalytic activity and accessible active surface, can be deposited on the surface of the Co-MOF–modified glassy carbon electrodes (Au3Pt7/Co-MOFs/GCE) by one-step electrodeposition method. Then, the electrochemical results demonstrated that the two-dimensional (2D) Co-MOF nanosheets as the supporting material displayed better electrocatalytic properties than the 3D Co-MOF crystals for reduction of H2O2. The fabricated Au3Pt7/2D Co-MOF exhibited high electrocatalytic activity, and the catalytic current was linear with H2O2 concentration from 0.1 μM to 5 mM, and 5–60 mM with a low detection limit of 0.02 μM (S/N = 3). The remarkable electroanalytical performance of Au3Pt7/2D Co-MOF can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the high dispersion of the Au3Pt7 NPs with the marvelous electrochemical properties and the 2D Co-MOF with high-specific surface areas. Furthermore, this sensor has been utilized to detect H2O2 concentrations released from the human Hela cells. This work provides a new method for improving the performance of electrochemical sensors by choosing the proper support materials from diverse crystal morphology materials.

Anti/de-icing performance of the one-step electrodeposited superhydrophobic surfaces: Role of surface polarity regulated by hydrocarbon radical length

• Superhydrophobic surface is prepared by one-step electrodeposition method. • Polarity of superhydrophobic surface is regulated by hydrocarbon radical length. • [CH 3 (CH 2 ) 16 COO] 3 Ce possesses better non-wettability and anti/de-icing features. • Cerium and –CH 2 group together contribute to the excellent low-polarity. • lower-polarity surface with ultra-low ice adhesion can be sustained by oxide layer. The superhydrophobic surfaces with different polarity regulated by hydrocarbon radical length were fabricated by a facile one-step electrodeposition method in order to survey the effect of surface polarity on anti/de-icing performance. The as-prepared superhydrophobic surface, electrodeposited in the solution composed of Ce(NO 3 ) 3 6H 2 O and stearic acid, displayed higher superhydrophobicity with a contact angle reaching 173.02 ± 1.02° and a rolling angle being only 1.5°. The ideal non-wettability was mainly attributed to the formed micro-nanostructures during the one-step electrodeposition process and the lower-polarity of [CH 3 (CH 2 ) 16 COO] 3 Ce with the extension of –CH 2 length. Furthermore, lower-polarity surface could induce smaller water-adhesion dissipation energy, resulting in the obvious reduction in the contact time (11.8 ms) of an impact droplet. In terms of the anti-icing performance, the icing delay time could reach 612.68 s at −15 ℃, and still had a higher value of 39.12 s even at −40 ℃, which could be also reflected by the statistical data of freezing temperature (-20.27 ℃). An ultra-low ice adhesion of 5.72 kPa was achieved on lower-polarity surface, meanwhile, the surface anti/de-icing cycle durability could be improved by 32% owing to the addition of an oxide layer. Understanding the influencing mechanism of surface polarity on anti/de-icing performance could provide theoretical guidance for the development of passive anti/de-icing technologies in aviation industry field.

Investigation of the charge transport kinetics and photoelectrochemical properties of CuInS2/R-TiO2 NTs heterostructures photoanode

It is significant to study the role of Ti3+ sites in heterojunction and its influence on charge transport kinetics for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Here, by using NaBH4 reduction treatment, Ti3+ self-doped reduced TiO2 nanotubes (R-TiO2 NTs) were obtained under mild conditions. CuInS2, a narrow bandgap semiconductor, was uniformly coated on R-TiO2 NTs to form a CuInS2/R-TiO2 NTs heterostructure photoelectrode through a simple one-step pulse electrodeposition method. The charge transfer and recombination process were characterized by the intensity modulated photocurrent/photovoltage spectroscopy (IMPS/IMVS). The results showed that the introduced Ti3+ sites formed an intermediate gap between the valence band and the conduction band. What’s more, the heterojunction structure effectively enhanced the interface charge separation, which promoted the surface reaction kinetics. The electron transfer time of CuInS2/R-TiO2 NTs was about 0.28 ms, which was higher than that of the individually R-TiO2 NTs and CuInS2/TiO2 NTs alone. The electron lifetime was extended from 1.19 ms to 3.77 ms. Due to the reduction treatment and surface loading of CuInS2 nanoparticles, the carrier collection efficiency and the charge transfer efficiency of the CuInS2/R-TiO2 NTs were increased to 92.6% and 10.71%, respectively. This study sheds light on the charge transport kinetics of CuInS2/R-TiO2 NTs heterostructures for application in efficient PEC water splitting.

Controllable Electrodeposition Adjusts the Electrochromic Properties of Co and Mo Co-Modified WO3 Films

Metal ion modification is considered to be an effective way to construct metal oxides with specific physical and chemical properties. In this paper, we prepare a tungsten oxide (WO3) film co-modified by Co-ion and Mo-ion to serve as the electrochromic material through a one-step electrodeposition method. The effect of electrodeposition time on film thickness, surface morphology and electrochromic properties is systematically studied as well. The results show that, compared with pure WO3 film, the surface morphology of the tungsten oxide film modified by Co-ion and Mo-ion (WO3: Co, Mo) is significantly different. The Co and Mo co-modified film possesses a higher transmission modulation (58.5% at 600 nm) and rapid switching speed (coloring and bleaching time are 2.7 s and 5.6 s, respectively), low impedance value and excellent cycle stability. The performance enhancement is mainly attributed to the coral-like structure of the membrane, which provides a larger specific surface area, more ion adsorption sites and faster ion diffusion. Therefore, this work provides a fast and low-cost method to prepare tungsten oxide electrochromic films co-modified with cobalt and molybdenum ions. At the same time, it also provides an idea to obtain films with different electrochromic properties by adjusting the film thickness.

Three-dimensional Ni0.85Se@ZnSe nanostructures on carbon cloth for flexible asymmetric battery-type supercapacitors

Nanostructures of Ni0.85Se@ZnSe with high electrochemical performance were successfully designed and fabricated on carbon cloth by a one-step electrodeposition method.

Highly stable Co-doped MnO2 nanoarrays as enhanced cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries

ABSTRACT Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are a promising battery technology because of low costs and high safety. However, dissolution, self-aggregation and irreversible phase changes during charge and discharge of cathode materials may severely restrict the cycle stability of ZIBs. The main objective of this work was to prepare a more stable cathode material. For this purpose, we successfully prepared transition metal Co-doped MnO2 (Co-MnO2) using a simple one-step potentiostatic electrodeposition method. Co-MnO2 showed a high specific capacity of 237 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1. Even at a high current density of 4 A g−1, the capacity retention was 87 mAh g−1. When returning back to 0.1 A g−1, the capacity retention rate exceeded 100%. Compared with long-cycle performance of the undoped MnO2, the electrochemical performance of the ion-doped electrodes with transition metal was significantly improved. The results indicate that transition metal doped electrode material (here Co-MnO2) can significantly improve the electrochemical performance and structural stability of the electrode material and improve the cycling performance. The results are relevant for the developing advanced cathodes for ZIBs.

One-step synthesis of amorphous NiCoP nanoparticles by electrodeposition as highly efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline solution

Exploring a simple, low-cost preparation method to synthesize excellent catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline solution is highly meaningful for large-scale electrolysis of water for hydrogen production. Herein, a one-step electrodeposition method with simultaneous electrodeposition and phosphation was proposed to synthesize the three-dimensional NiCoP/carbon cloth (NiCoP/CC) nanoparticles at room temperature on the conductive carbon cloth (CC). The results showed that the NiCoP nanoparticles covered by nanowires had an amorphous structure. The NiCoP/CC electrode exhibited a good catalytic activity in 1.0 M KOH solution. It required only 74, 101, 149 mV overpotential for HER in basic solution to obtain current densities of − 10, − 20, − 50 mA cm−2, respectively, with a corresponding Tafel slope of 89.5 mV dec−1. Furthermore, after 24 h constant voltage test, the current density of NiCoP/CC only showed 2% decay, indicating a good stability. The obtained excellent catalytic activity can be attributed to the amorphous structure, the synergetic effect of Ni and Co, the charge transfer among Ni/Co and P, and nanoparticles in situ grown on carbon cloth. The simple one-step electrodeposition method shows a very promising potential for the preparation of bimetallic phosphides.

One-step electrodeposition of ZnO/graphene composite film as photoanode for dye-sensitised solar cells

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures are commonly used as semiconductor films for the photoanodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). However, the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of DSSCs with ZnO photoanode was compromised by the instability of the physical and chemical properties of ZnO. In this paper, ZnO-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite photoanodes were obtained by a one-step electrodeposition method, and the photoelectric performance of the assembled DSSCs were measured. By comparing the PCE and other photoelectric parameters of the DSSCs constructed by the ZnO-rGO photoanodes deposited under different deposition potentials and times, the DSSCs achieved the best performance with the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE), open circuit voltage (Voc), short-circuit current density (Jsc), and fill factor (FF) of 1.07%, 386.15 mV, 4.65 mA cm −2 , and 0.59, respectively. • We report a one-step electrodeposition method for preparing ZnO-rGO composite. • The photoelectric properties of ZnO-rGO composite photoanodes are higher than ZnO. • The electrodeposition of ZnO was carried out simultaneously with reduction of GO.

One-step programmable electrofabrication of chitosan asymmetric hydrogels with 3D shape deformation

Programmable asymmetric hydrogels with tunable structure/shape or physical/chemical properties in response to external stimuli show particular significance in smart systems, but there is lack of simple, rapid, and cheap strategy to design such hydrogel systems. Herein, we report a one-step electrodeposition method to construct chitosan asymmetric hydrogels with tunable thickness and pore size that can be conveniently modulated by the process parameters. Our approach greatly simplifies the process of hydrogel preparation with complex shapes and asymmetric structure organization. The formation mechanism of asymmetric structure has been proposed, based on gelation behavior and entanglement of chitosan chains in the hydrogel-solution system under the electric field. By changing the shape of the electrodes, hydrogels with the morphology of strip, tube, flower, etc. can be obtained precisely and conveniently. They can perform programmable 2D to 3D smart dynamic deformation under pH and metal ions stimulation, indicating the broad application potential in soft robot and biosensor areas.