Improvement in Cr nanoparticle content in Ni-Cr film by co-deposition with combined surfactant HPB and CTAB

Abstract

The effects of single surfactant hexadecylpyridinium bromide (HPB) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and the combination of HPB and CTAB on the Cr nanoparticle content in the Ni-Cr film prepared by codeposition were investigated. Single HPB/CTAB addition inhibited the oxidation and amorphous transformation of the Cr nanoparticles in the plating bath and effectively stabilized the Cr nanoparticles content at approximately 10 mass% as a function of time. Moreover, the combination of HPB and CTAB formed a cylindrical micelle structure on the Cr nanoparticle surface, which prompted the formation of a layer of NiCr2O4. As a result, the Cr nanoparticle content increased sharply to 20 mass%.