Abstract

Nano materials electrodes in fuel cell and battery deliver much higher current compared to other electrocatalytic materials. Nano synthesis by electrodeposition technique is very encouraging, considering, achieving nano grain size, right morphology and the required electrocatalytic properties, with simple controlling parameters of current, potential, electrolyte chemistry and using inexpensive equipments. The paper discusses the mechanism of electrodeposition at atomistic level and the effects of various controlling parameters to enhance the rate of nucleation and depress the rate of growth so that electrodeposition produces nano structure. Organic inhibitors help to form nanodeposit. Pulse current electrodeposition is a better technique than normal DC current to encourage more nucleation than growth. The right operating parameters of a particular metal or oxide nano deposit can be found out by a few laboratory experiments viz.

Cyclic Voltammetry, Chronoamperometric and Potentiodynamic Polarization. SEM images exhibit nano structures of few alloys and metal oxides synthesized by electrodeposition for high energetic fuel cell electrodes.

Keywords: Applied current, deposition potential, electrodeposition mechanism, overvoltage, pulse current

Graphical Abstract