Lead Nanowires for Microaccumulators Obtained Through Indirect Electrochemical Template Deposition

Metallic lead nanowires were deposited within pores of commercial anodic alumina membranes having an average pore diameter of 210 nm. Direct electrodeposition was attempted from 0.1 M Pb(NO3)(2) aqueous solution with a variable concentration of H3BO3 as a chelating agent, but it gave unsatisfactory results. An indirect two-step deposition procedure was then adopted, consisting of the anodic electrodeposition of alpha-PbO2 nanowires, followed by their in situ reduction to metallic lead. Both these processes occurred at a high rate so that the indirect method led to a complete template pore filling with pure polycrystalline Pb in short times and with a high current efficiency. (C) 2009 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3246944] All rights reserved.