Growing High-Quality Ir-Sb Nanostructures by Controlled Electrochemical Deposition

The electrochemical preparation and spectroscopic characterisation of iridium-antimony (Ir-Sb) species is important owing to their potential applications as nanostructure materials. Nanostructures, i.e. nanoflower and nanodisk, of Ir-Sb were electrodeposited on conductive substrates using a practical electrochemical method based on the simultaneous underpotential deposition (UPD) of Ir and Sb from the IrCl₃ and Sb₂O₃ at a constant potential. Electrochemical UPD mechanism of Ir-Sb was studied using cyclic voltammetry and potential-controlled electrochemical deposition techniques. Herein, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopy were used to determine the morphological and structural properties of the electrochemically-synthesised Ir-Sb nanostructures.