Synthesis of hierarchical mushroom-like cobalt nanostructures based on one-step galvanostatic electrochemical deposition

Hierarchical mushroom-like cobalt materials were synthesized by galvanostatic electroplating. The morphology of the product, which can evolve from cone-like to mushroom-like nanostructures, is controllable by changing the deposition parameters. The nanostructure is a single hexagonal close-packed crystal with a < 100 > preferential growth direction. The proposed growth mechanism is based on the metal ion deficient layer (MIDL) theory which explains both the time-dependent morphology evolution and the effects of the crystalline modifier C2H4(NH2)(2). Depositions using several organic crystalline modifiers were compared; only C2H4(NH2)(2) yielded the mushroom-like structure.