Electrodeposition of high-pressure-stable bcc phase bismuth flowerlike micro/nanocomposite architectures at room temperature without surfactant

Three-dimensional (3D) bismuth flowerlike micro/nanocomposite architectures were successfully prepared on Cu substrates by electrochemical self-assembly in aqueous solution at room temperature. The morphology, crystal structure, and composition were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Results show that the synthesized 3D architectures are built with dozens of two-dimensional (2D) single crystal nanoscaled petals, which are high-pressure-stable bcc phase Bi. The thickness of the 2D petals is about 60 nm. The effects of the concentration of Bi3+ ions and the electric potential gradient on the evolution of the Bi flowerlike micro/nanocomposite architectures are discussed.