Growth Mechanism of Single Crystal Nanowires of fcc Metals (Ag, Cu, Ni) and hcp Metal (Co) Electrodeposited

Using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we have studied the growth of the single crystalline nanowires of Ag, Cu, Ni and Co metals in the small pores (50 nm). We find that the preferential growth surface of the single crystalline nanowires is on the atomically rough surfaces such as fcc(110) and hcp(10 (1) over bar0). We have proposed a new model to explain the growth of the nanowires of fcc and hcp metals. In this model we argue that the preferential growth should depend on the number of sites for dehydration of hydrated metal ions on a metal surface. The dehydration occurs only at the apex site of a protruding surface atom since the apex site of the protruding surface atom has an enhanced electrical field. The sites for the dehydration on the fcc(110) and hcp(10 (1) over bar0) atomically rough planes are in number much larger than those on the fcc(111) and hcp(0001) atomically smooth surfaces, thus leading to the preferential growth on the fcc(110) and hcp(10 (1) over bar0) planes. (C) 2011 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.034201jes].