Hydrogen template assisted electrodeposition of sub-micrometer wires composing honeycomb-like porous Pb films

High surface area porous Pb films are electrodeposited using a hydrogen bubble dynamic template. The influence of the experimental parameters on the morphology features such as the pore size, wall thickness, and sub-micrometer size features is investigated. Two structural transformations between sub-micrometer wires and particles obtained by adjusting the HClO4 concentration are observed. At a low HClO4 concentration, the growth of sub-micrometer wires is favored. The deposition of particles or wires covered by particles is observed at higher H+ concentrations. The addition of sodium citrate as an additive facilitates the preservation of Pb in the form of wires. Adjusting the concentration of Pb(ClO4)2·3H2O influences the mass transfer of Pb and affects its morphology. At low concentrations, the deposition of porous Pb films composed of porous wires is shown. The additional deposition of particles on wires is observed at high concentrations. The formation process of honeycomb-like porous structures is revealed by analysis of films deposited during different deposition time. The influence of the current density on the micro and sub-micrometer scale morphologies is presented.