Electrodeposition of Metallic Nanowires in Nanoporous Polycarbonate Films

A polycarbonate membrane filter with numerous cylindrical nanopores was used as a template for growing metallic nanowires such as Ni, Co and Fe. The nanoporous template with pore-diameter of 150 nm, pore-length of 6000 nm, and pore-density of 108 pore•cm-2 was modified as a cathode with sputter-deposited gold layer. Inside the nano-pores, the metallic nanowires were electrochemically deposited from an acidic sulfate solution containing metal ions. The growth rate of metallic nanowires depended on the cathode potential during electrodeposition. The diameter of electrodeposited nanowires corresponded to that of nanopores in the template. TEM diffraction pattern suggested that each metallic nanowire composed of a single crystalline structure.