Thermal diffusivity of electrodeposited Ni and Co nanowires using infrared thermography

•Nanowires (NWs) of Ni and Co synthesized using the anodic alumina (AAO) template-assisted electrodeposition process.•Thermal diffusivity of Ni, Co/AAO nanocomposites measured in a direction perpendicular to the NW axis.•Infrared thermography-based non-contact approach applied.•The change in thermal diffusivity of NWs as compared to the bulk samples, estimated using first order lower bound model (FOLBM).

One-dimensional nanostructures such as Ni and Co nanowires (NWs) show anisotropic thermal properties in a direction parallel and perpendicular to the NW axis. Thermal diffusivity of Ni and Co NWs embedded in a 100-nm pore anodic alumina (AAO) template has been measured in a direction perpendicular to the NW axis, using an infrared thermography-based non-contact approach. The measured thermal diffusivity values in the radial direction are 0.728×10−6 and 0.732×10−6 m2s−1, respectively, for the Ni and Co nanocomposites. The changes in the thermal diffusivity of the synthesized NWs alone were estimated using a first-order lower bound model (FOLBM). A nearly seven- and sixfold reduction, respectively, of thermal diffusivity in a direction perpendicular to the NW axis is estimated for the synthesized Ni and Co NWs.