A facile electrochemical route for fast deposition of featherlike tellurium microstructures

Abstract

In this paper, featherlike t-Te microstructures were synthesized at a large scale via a simple electrochemical deposition route at room temperature, employing Na₂TeO₃ as a tellurium source in a diluted HNO₃ solution without the assistance of any additive. The phase and morphology of the as-prepared product were characterized by means of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), (high resolution) transmission electron microscopy (HR/TEM), selected area electron pattern (SAED) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Some factors influencing the formation of featherlike t-Te microstructures were systematically investigated, including the deposition current, and the original amounts of Na₂TeO₃ and HNO₃. The time-dependent shape evolution of featherlike t-Te microstructures was investigated. Experiments showed that diluted HNO₃ was indispensable in the formation of featherlike t-Te microstructures.