Tuning nanoscale grain size distribution in multilayered Al–Mn alloys

Al–Mnx/Al–Mny multilayers with a wide range of structures ranging from microcrystalline to nanocrystalline and amorphous were electrodeposited using a single-bath method under galvanostatic control from room temperature ionic liquid. By varying the Mn composition by ∼1–3 at.% between layers, the grain sizes in one material can be systematically modulated between two values. Control over both the layer structure and the structure within individual layers together offers unique opportunities to optimize multiple properties simultaneously.