Impact of Direct and Pulsed Electrodeposition Mode on the Electrochemical, Structural, and Morphological Properties of Ni-Fe Nanostructures Coatings
Abstract
Nickel-iron (Ni-Fe) nanostructured alloys are attracting increasing interest due to their remarkable electrochemical, magnetic, and mechanical properties, making them particularly attractive for applications in electrocatalysis, energy storage, sensors, and functional coatings. This study presents a comparative analysis of the electrochemical, structural, and morphological characteristics of nickel-iron (Ni-Fe) nanostructures synthesized in sulfate electrolytes on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates through various electrodeposition methods. The fabricated nanostructures were characterized using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometric measurements (potentiostatic steps), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electro-crystallization process was evaluated using the Scharifker-Hills model, revealing that nucleation mechanisms differed based on applied potentials. XRD analysis confirmed the polycrystalline nature of the Ni-Fe nanostructures, with a preferred <111> crystallographic orientation and a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure observed in both deposition modes. The crystallite sizes were determined as 9.77 nm under pulsed conditions and 14.63 nm for the direct method. AFM surface analyses further demonstrated that the choice of electrodeposition method significantly influences the morphological features of the resulting deposits.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Houssem Eddine El Yamine Sakhraoui, H. Ayadi, N. Maouche, D. Belfennache, R. Yekhlef, Mohamed A. Ali, Hamad M. Adress Hasan, Hanan F. Emrayed, Haneebal Saeid Khatab, Ghada M. Salem
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