Using deep eutectic solvents to electrodeposit CoSm films and nanowires

A Deep Eutectic Solvent of 1 chlorine chloride: 2 urea eutectic mixture at 70 degrees C has been tested as useful to electrodeposit both magnetic SmCo films and nanowires. Galvanostatic deposition allows obtaining homogeneous deposits over metallic substrate with variable composition as a function of the current density applied. The deposits obtained at 0.5-1.5 mA cm(-2) were uniform and they correspond to a cobalt hexagonal crystalline phase with magnetic anisotropy and coercivity of 250 Oe. It has been possible to deposit SmCo nanowires from the DES solvent using alumina templates. Uniform CoSm nanowires of 50 nm of diameter have been obtained; they correspond also to hexagonal phase, but they present higher coercivity. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.