Electrochemical Synthesis of Functional Coatings and Nanomaterials in Molten Salts and Their Application

Abstract

Nanomaterials are widely used in modern technologies due to their unique properties. Developing methods for their production is one of the most important scientific problems. In this review, the advantages of electrochemical methods for synthesis in molten salts of nanostructured coatings and nanomaterials for different applications were discussed. It was determined that the nanostructured Mo2C coatings on a molybdenum substrate obtained by galvanostatic electrolysis have a superior catalytic activity for the water-gas shift reaction. The corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant coatings of refractory metal carbides on steels were synthesized by the method of currentless transfer. This method also was used for the production of composite carbon fiber/refractory metal carbide materials, which are efficient electrocatalysts for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The possibility to synthesize GdB6 nanorods and Si and TaO nanoneedles by potentiostatic electrolysis was shown.