Fabrication of PdxNiyP100-x-y Metallic Glass Film by Electroless Alloy Plating and its Catalyst Activity

Abstract

Pd-Ni-P films were systematically plated using a mixture of Pd and Ni-P plating solutions. The films were plated by electroless alloy plating using three Pd/Ni-P mixture ratios (1/1, 3/1, and 1/3) at plating temperatures adjusted within a range from 303 to 333K. An increase in the Ni-P mixture ratio or in the plating temperature led to an increase in the Ni content of the plated film and a decrease in the Pd content. The P content of the plated film remained almost constant. These results indicate that the composition of the fabricated film can be effectively controlled by adjusting the plating temperature and mixture ratio. The plated film had a flat surface morphology without defects such as pinholes or nodules. TEM observation of the film revealed an amorphous structure. DSC analysis during heating revealed an endothermic peak and exothermic peak corresponding to the glass transition and crystallization, respectively. On the basis of these results, we concluded that the plated Pd-Ni-P film was metallic glass. The plated Pd-Ni-P film was also confirmed to have catalytic activity, as the Ni-P alloy was plated directly onto the film without catalyzation by electroless plating. The high flatness and uniformity of the surface of the Ni-P film plated onto the Pd-Ni-P film suggests that the Ni-P film grew via a one-dimensional growth mechanism.