Growth mechanism and magnetic properties of dendritic nanostructure prepared by pulse electrodeposition

CoCu dendrites were synthesized by pulse direct current electrodeposition (DC-PED) on polycrystalline Au substrate from a Co and Cu-sulphamate-based solution in a three-electrode system. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the CoCu dendrites consist of a long central backbone with secondary branches, which were composed of many neighbouring cubic-like nanoparticles. Tuning the pulse time was believed to be the key for the formation of a dendritic nanostructure. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicated that the dendrite was composed of a solid solution of face-centered cubic CoCu with preferred orientation of {111} planes and a face-centered cubic Co phase. The energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) demonstrated that Co and Cu element composition distributed uniformly in the dendrite. Our results demonstrate that the co-deposition of Co and Cu ions is possible during the pulse electrodeposition process and which was dominated by the mechanism of thermodynamics and kinetics perspectives. Magnetic measurements showed that the CoCu dendritic films exhibit ferromagnetism and easy-axis direction of the magnetization is perpendicular to the film plane. •Dendritic CoCu structural alloy products by pulse electrodeposition method.•A central backbone with secondary branches was obtained in the CoCu dendrities.•The dendrities were composed by neighbouring cubic-like nanoparticles.•Thermodynamics and kinetics theory is used to explain the formation of dendrities.