Fabrication of Superconducting Nanowires Using the Template Method

Synthesis of nickel nanowires (Ni-NWs) as high ferromagnetic material by electrodeposition technique

Metallic nanowires (NWs) and their different compounds display incredible prospects for their use in various applications including media storage, sensor and solar cell devices along with the biological drug delivery systems. In this research work, the metallic NWs like nickel nanowires (Ni-NWs) are synthesized successfully by employing electrodeposition process. Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates are employed as a platform with copper metal coating which acts as an active cathode. The synthesized Ni-NWs are examined through various characterization techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) to study the crystal structure, surface morphology and magnetic properties, respectively. The XRD analysis shows the development of various diffraction planes like Ni (111), Ni (200), Ni (220) which confirms the formation of polycrystalline nickel NWs. The SEM analysis reveals that the range of diameter and length of nickel NWs are found to be ∼160 to 200 and ∼4 to 11 micron respectively showing high aspect ratio (ranged from ∼200 to 300). The ferromagnetic behavior of Ni-NWs is confirmed by the hysteresis loop carried out for parallel and perpendicular configurations having Hc = 100 and 206 Oe, respectively. The obtained results suggest that the synthesized Ni- NWs may be used for high-density media storage devices.

Incorporation of Ions into Nanostructured Anodic Oxides-Mechanism and Functionalities

Anodic oxidation of metals leads to the formation of ordered nanoporous or nanotubular oxide layers that contribute to numerous existing and emerging applications. However, there are still numerous fundamental aspects of anodizing that have to be well understood and require deeper understanding. Anodization of metals is accompanied by the inevitable phenomenon of anion incorporation, which is discussed in detail in this review. Additionally, the influence of anion incorporation into anodic alumina and its impact on various properties is elaborated. The literature reports on the impact of the incorporated electrolyte anions on photoluminescence, galvanoluminescence and refractive index of anodic alumina are analyzed. Additionally, the influence of the type and amount of the incorporated anions on the chemical properties of anodic alumina, based on the literature data, was also shown to be important. The role of fluoride anions in d-electronic metal anodizing is shown to be important in the formation of nanostructured morphology. Additionally, the impact of incorporated anionic species, such as ruthenites, and their influence on anodic oxides formation, such as titania, reveals how the phenomenon of anion incorporation can be beneficial.