Determination of Activation Overpotential during the Nucleation of Hcp-Cobalt Nanowires Synthesized by Potentio-Static Electrochemical Reduction

Magnetic structure and internal field nuclear magnetic resonance of cobalt nanowires

The magnetic properties of cobalt metal nanowires grown by electrodeposition in porous membranes depend largely on the synthesis conditions. Here, we focus on the role of electrolyte additives on the magnetic anisotropy of the electrodeposited nanowires. Through magnetometry and internal field nuclear magnetic resonance (IF NMR) studies, we compared both the magnetic and crystalline structures of 50 and 200 nm diameter Co nanowires synthesized in the presence or absence of organic additives. The spectral characteristics of IF NMR were compared structurally to X-ray diffraction patterns, and the anisotropy of the NMR enhancement factor in ferromagnetic multidomain structures to magnetometry results. While the magnetic behavior of the 50 nm nanowires was dominated, as expected, by shape anisotropy with magnetic domains oriented on axis, the analysis of the 200 nm proved to be more complex. ⁵⁹Co IF NMR revealed that the determining difference between the samples electrodeposited in the presence or in absence of organic additives was not the dominant crystalline system (fcc or hcp) but the coherent domain sizes and boundaries. In the presence of organic additives, the cobalt crystal domains are smaller and with defective grain boundaries, as revealed by resonances below 210 MHz. This prevented the development in the Co hcp part of the sample of the strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy that was observed in the absence of organic additives. In the presence of organic additives, even in nanowires as wide as 200 nm, the magnetic behavior remained determined by the shape anisotropy with a positive effective magnetic anisotropy and strong anisotropy of the NMR enhancement factor.

Template-Assisted Iron Nanowire Formation at Different Electrolyte Temperatures

We studied the morphology, structure, and magnetic properties of Fe nanowires that were electrodeposited as a function of the electrolyte temperature. The nucleation mechanism followed instantaneous growth. At low temperatures, we observed an increase of the total charge reduced into the templates, thus suggesting a significant increase in the degree of pore filling. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed smooth nanowires without any characteristic features that would differentiate their morphology as a function of the electrolyte temperature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies indicated the presence of a polycarbonate coating that covered the nanowires and protected them against oxidation. The X-ray diffraction measurements showed peaks coming from the polycrystalline Fe bcc structure without any traces of the oxide phases. The crystallite size decreased with an increasing electrolyte temperature. The transmission electron microscopy measurements proved the fine-crystalline structure and revealed elongated crystallite shapes with a columnar arrangement along the nanowire. Mössbauer studies indicated a deviation in the magnetization vector from the normal direction, which agrees with the SQUID measurements. An increase in the electrolyte temperature caused a rise in the out of the membrane plane coercivity. The studies showed the oxidation resistance of the Fe nanowires deposited at elevated electrolyte temperatures.

Determination of Crystal Growth Geometry Factors and Nucleation Site Densities of Electrodeposited Ferromagnetic Cobalt Nanowire Arrays

The time-dependence of electrochemical reduction current, which was observed during the one-dimensional (1-D) crystal growth of ferromagnetic cobalt nanowire arrays, was analyzed by Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov (JMAK) theory. Textured hcp-Co nanowire arrays were synthesized by potentio-static electrochemical reduction of Co2+ ions in anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) nanochannel films. Crystal growth geometry factor n in the JMAK equation was determined to be ca. 1. Hence, the electrochemical crystal growth process of a numerical nanowires array can be explained by 1-D geometry. The crystal nucleation frequency factor, k in JMAK equation was estimated to be the range between 10−4 and 10−3. Our experimental results revealed that the crystal nucleation site density Nd increased up to 2.7 × 10−8 nm−3 when increasing the overpotential for cobalt electrodeposition by shifting the cathode potential down to −0.85 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The (002) crystal orientation of hcp-Co nanowire arrays was, remarkably, observed by decreasing Nd. Spontaneous magnetization behavior was observed in the axial direction of nanowires. By decreasing the overpotential for cobalt electrodeposition, the coercivity of the nanocomposite film increased and reached up to 1.88 kOe, with a squareness of ca. 0.9 at room temperature.