Anomalous Deposition of Co-Ni Alloys in Film and Nanowire Morphologies from Citrate Baths

Co-deposition of Co-Ni alloy catalysts from an ethylene glycol system for the hydrogen evolution reaction

The preparation of active, stable and low-cost non-noble electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) using the electrochemical water splitting process is crucial for the promotion of sustainable energy. In this study, Co-Ni alloys with various Co contents are prepared using a galvanostatic method and the co-deposition behavior of Co²⁺ and Ni²⁺ in ethylene glycol (EG) is reported. These results indicate that the presence of additional Ni²⁺ species can accelerate the Co-Ni co-deposition process and Co²⁺ species in the system can inhibit the reduction of Ni²⁺. Moreover, the two effects are improved with an increase in Ni²⁺ or Co²⁺ species concentration in the EG system, respectively. Chronoamperometry records show that the Co-Ni electro-crystallization mechanism is one of 3D instantaneous nucleation and growth. Moreover, the Co-Ni alloy with 59.46 wt% Co exhibits high electrocatalytic activity for HER with an overpotential of 133 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 in 1 M KOH due to a high value of electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) (955.0 cm²). Therefore, the Co-Ni alloy electrocatalyst obtained from the EG system could be a promising candidate for practical hydrogen production.

An Innovative Method of Converting Ferrous Mill Scale Wastes into Superparamagnetic Nanoadsorbents for Water Decontamination

The need to recycle and develop nanomaterials from waste, and use them in environmental applications has become increasingly imperative in recent decades. A new method to convert the mill scale, a waste of the steel industry that contains large quantity of iron and low impurities into a nanoadsorbent that has the necessary properties to be used for water purification is presented. The mill scale waste was used as raw material for iron oxide nanopowder. A thorough characterization was performed in each stage of the conversion process from the mill scale powder to magnetic nanopowder including XRD (X-ray diffraction), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), TEM (transmission electron microscopy), BET (Brunauer, Emmett and Teller) and magnetization properties. Iron oxide nanoparticles were approximately 5-6 nm with high specific surface area and good magnetic properties. These are the necessary properties that a magnetic nanopowder must have in order to be used as nanoadsorbents in the heavy metal removal from waters. The iron oxide nanoparticles were evaluated as adsorbents for the removal of Cu, Cd and Ni ions.

Removal of Heavy Metals from Wastewaters: A Challenge from Current Treatment Methods to Nanotechnology Applications

Removing heavy metals from wastewaters is a challenging process that requires constant attention and monitoring, as heavy metals are major wastewater pollutants that are not biodegradable and thus accumulate in the ecosystem. In addition, the persistent nature, toxicity and accumulation of heavy metal ions in the human body have become the driving force for searching new and more efficient water treatment technologies to reduce the concentration of heavy metal in waters. Because the conventional techniques will not be able to keep up with the growing demand for lower heavy metals levels in drinking water and wastewaters, it is becoming increasingly challenging to implement technologically advanced alternative water treatments. Nanotechnology offers a number of advantages compared to other methods. Nanomaterials are more efficient in terms of cost and volume, and many process mechanisms are better and faster at nanoscale. Although nanomaterials have already proved themselves in water technology, there are specific challenges related to their stability, toxicity and recovery, which led to innovations to counteract them. Taking into account the multidisciplinary research of water treatment for the removal of heavy metals, the present review provides an updated report on the main technologies and materials used for the removal of heavy metals with an emphasis on nanoscale materials and processes involved in the heavy metals removal and detection.

Preparation of Co-Ni Alloy Coating with Stable Composition by Jet-Electrodeposition

Cobalt-Nickel (Co-Ni) alloy coatings were prepared by jet electrodeposition on brass substrate under different Co2+/Ni2+ ratio contents (M = 2:1, 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3) and solution flow rates (from 2.0 to 4.5 L/min). The surface morphology, element content, and phase structure of the coating were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The hardness and wear resistance of the coatings were also measured. The results showed that the Co content in coatings was greater than 70%, no matter at what flow rate and concentration. With an increase of the flow rate, the Co content in the coating increases, and the grain size on the surface of the coating decreases, which leads to increased hardness of the coating. However, the flow rate of the plating solution has little effect on the grain growth orientation, and the phase structure is dominated by the elemental content of the coating. The coatings are in a single phase of hexagonal close-packed (HCP) when the Co content is more than 80%, while the coatings are in dual phases of the HCP and face-centered cubic (FCC) when the Co content is less than 80%. With an increase in the Co content, the grain size decreases, and consequently, the hardness and wear resistance of the alloy increase. A Co-Ni alloy coating with stable composition can be obtained when the ratio of Co2+ to Ni2+ is 2:1.

Template-Assisted Co-Ni Nanowire Arrays

A comparison was performed between Co-Ni thin films and template-assisted nanowires arrays obtained by electrochemical co-deposition. To reduce the effects of anomalous deposition and increase the Ni content in the deposit, an electrolyte with three times more Ni than Co in atomic ratio was chosen. Electrochemical deposition was performed at constant potentials chosen in the range from E = -0.8 to -1.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and charge stripping techniques were used to characterize and compare the electrochemical behavior of Co-Ni films and nanowires. Morphological and compositional characterization was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDAX) to assess the influence of the deposition potential on the growth of film and nanowires. A comprehensive analysis of the deposit growth rates for thin films and nanowires is presented taking into consideration the hydrogen evolution and anomalous deposition. The comparative study of the composition of film and nanowires obtained at different deposition potentials has shown that deposition of nanowires with a film-like composition takes place at more positive potential than thin film.