Improving electrophoretic deposition of (Mg/Al)-doped Ni(OH) 2 through the generation of layered double hydroxides

In this work, we report the synthesis of (Mg/Al)-doped Ni(OH) 2 by a microwave-assisted co-precipitation route and its subsequent electrophoretic deposition (EPD) on ITO-coated glasses under an applied voltage of 12 V for 15 min. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the powder samples with different Al 3+ content show the presence of β-Ni(OH) 2 and a layered double hydroxide (LDH) structure with characteristic peaks for the (006) and (009) diffraction planes. The analysis carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the lamellar morphology of the samples. Methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol were evaluated as dispersing media for the EPD of the doped nickel hydroxide. Based on zeta potential measurements, isopropanol was selected as the dispersion medium for EPD. XRD analysis of the as-prepared coatings indicates that the EPD of the LDH structure is preferred over the β-Ni(OH) 2 phase. Moreover, the LDH increased the surface coverage due to the incorporation of Al 3+ ions into the Ni(OH) 2 structure. These results generate interesting expectations for the preparation of doped-metal oxide films from hydroxide precursors using EPD.