Solution synthesis of nano-phase nickel as film and porous electrode

Routes to nano-phase nickel in the forms of highly porous sponges and dense films have been developed. Nickel acetate and nitrate were mixed with trie thanolamine and methanol, and evaporated to a concentrated liquid. Heat-tre atment at 10 degreesC/min to 170 degreesC under N-2 atmosphere yielded a hi ghly porous sponge consisting of < 10 nm sized Ni crystallites. Deposition of a 1 M nickel precursor solution on polycrystalline Al2O3, SnO2 : F coate d glass or titanium substrates spinning at 2700 rpm, followed by heat-treat ment at 10 degreesC/min to 400 degreesC yielded smooth and dense nickel fil ms consisting of 3-5 nm sized crystallites. The precursor concentrate was s tudied by FT-IR and the phase development on heat-treatment was studied by thermogravimetric analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmis sion electron microscopy.