Electrodeposition of Sm–Co film with high Sm content from aqueous solution

•The Sm–Co film with high Sm content is electrodeposited from aqueous solutions.•The addition of glycine facilitates the codeposition of Sm with Co at relatively low potential.•The Sm2Co17 phase is formed in the annealed Sm–Co film.

Sm–Co films with high Sm content were electrodeposited by potentiostat technique from the aqueous solution containing glycine as a complexing agent. The Cyclic Voltammetry measurements showed that the glycine plays a crucial role in the electrodeposition of Sm–Co films. The forming of stable complex [CoIISmIII(Gly−)2(HGly±)]3 + facilitated the codeposition of Sm with Co at relatively low potential, which made it possible to fabricate the Sm–Co films with high Sm content. The Sm–Co film with 43 at.% Sm had been obtained. X-ray diffraction showed that the as-deposited Sm–Co films were amorphous. After annealing at 600 °C for 2 h in Ar atmosphere, the films became crystalline and the permanent Sm2Co17 phase was formed, which significantly enhanced the coercivity of the films.