Effect of annealing on the electrical and magnetic properties of electrodeposited Ni and permalloy nanowires

•The conductivity of electro-deposited Ni nanowires can be doubled through annealing.•This mechanism works through changes in the material's crystal structure.•Annealing at 200 °C can tune the coercivity of Ni-based nanowires by 25%. The influence of annealing on the microstructure and the electrical and magnetic properties of cylindrical nickel-based nanowires has been investigated. Nanowires of nickel of ~275 nm diameter and of permalloy (Py) of ~70 nm diameter were fabricated by electrochemical deposition into nanoporous templates of polycarbonate and anodic alumina, respectively. Characterization was carried out on as-grown and up to 650 °C heat-treated nanowires. Transmission electron microscopy imaging and diffraction of the nanowires showed a temperature-correlated grain growth of an initially nanocrystalline structure (untreated) with