Fabrication of copper ferrite nanowalls on ceramic surfaces by an electrochemical method

Abstract

CuFe2O4 nanowalls with a thickness of 10 nm are directly fabricated from CuFe2O4 ceramic grains on the surface of the ceramic at the cathode by an electrochemical method. During this fabrication period, some of the Cu2+ will be reduced to Cu metal and released from the lattice; at the same time, some of the Fe3+ will be reduced to Fe2+ and this will lead to cation rearrangement and a phase transition from tetragonal to cubic structure. Release of copper from the lattice and lattice cell shrinkage during the phase transition are found to be responsible for the imposing of stress in the surface layer of the sample and the formation of the nanowalls.