Lead Nanowires for Microaccumulators Obtained Through Indirect Electrochemical Template Deposition

Metallic lead nanowires were deposited within pores of commercial anodic alumina membranes having an average pore diameterof 210 nm. “Direct” electrodeposition was attempted from 0.1 M Pb NO3 2 aqueous solution with a variable concentration ofH3BO3 as a chelating agent, but it gave unsatisfactory results. An “indirect” two-step deposition procedure was then adopted,consisting of the anodic electrodeposition of -PbO2 nanowires, followed by their in situ reduction to metallic lead. Both theseprocesses occurred at a high rate so that the indirect method led to a complete template pore filling with pure polycrystalline Pbin short times and with a high current efficiency.