Electrodeposited Nanocrystalline Nickel Dispersed with Nano-Size WO₃ Particles

Abstract

A new class of bulk nanocrystalline nickel dispersed with nano-scale WO₃ particles has been synthesized by conventional electrodeposition. It was found that WO₃ particles of an initial size of 0.1 µm, when suspended in an electrolyte, fragmented into smaller nano-scale particles during deposition accompanied by phase transition from an initial monoclinic to tetragonal structure. The cause and effect relation between the fragmentation and the phase transition of WO₃ particles was discussed. Hopefully, the phenomenon can be applied to establish a novel synthesis for a new class of bulk nanocrystalline metals with dispersed nano-scale particles endowed with higher strength and thermal stability than conventional mono-phase nanocrystalline materials.