Electrodeposition of Nanostructured Magnesium Coatings

In this work, we report on the electroplating of ultrafine and uniform magnesium (Mg) films on copper (Cu) and carbon nanotube (CNT) paper substrates. By controlling the process parameters and utilizing the pulsed deposition method, the average grain size of Mg was reduced to nanodimensions. Surface pretreatment of the substrates by depositing a seed layer was found to be an efficient strategy for reducing the energy barrier for nucleation, thus improving nucleation density and the uniformity of deposited coatings. This work provides important guidance for the fabrication of smooth nanostructured Mg films on different substrates for a wide variety of applications.