Method for the electrolytic production of self-supporting conductive nanocomposite elements

摘要

The invention relates to a self-supporting composite element and to a method of producing same. The composite element comprises a substrate of electronic conductive material which is covered with metal nanowires that are essentially oriented along a plane that is perpendicular to the substrate. The element is produced in a cell comprising a cathode which is formed by the substrate to be covered, one or more anodes and an electrolyte which is formed by a solution of a precursor of the metal material and optionally containing a conductive ionic salt, a flat porous membrane which is placed between the cathode and each of the anodes and a spacer element between each membrane and the anode adjacent thereto, the different constituent parts of the cell being maintained in contact.

主权项

1. A method of producing a self-supporting composite element consisting of an electronically conductive nonporous substrate which bears, on at least one of its faces, a coating consisting of nanowires of a metallic material, wherein a precursor of each constituent of the metallic material constituting the nanowires is a precursor of a metal or metals M, the method comprising:
carrying out an electrodeposition operation on said electronically conductive nonporous substrate through a plane porous membrane, and then dissolving the plane porous membrane, wherein the electrodeposition operation is implemented in an electrochemical cell connected to a controlled voltage and/or current source, said electrochemical cell comprising: a cathode consisting of the electronically conductive nonporous substrate to be coated, and connected to the negative terminal of said source, wherein the cathode consists of a metal or metals M′, in which M′ is identical to the metal or metals M of the precursor for the nanowires; one or more anodes, each connected to the positive terminal of said source; an electrolyte comprising a solution of the precursor of each constituent of the metallic material, said solution optionally containing an ionically conductive salt; a plane porous membrane placed on a single face or on each face of the cathode; and a spacer element between each plane porous membrane and the one or more anode that is adjacent it, wherein each spacer element covers the entire surface of the anode to which it is adjacent; and wherein the electrochemical cell is previously prepared by: stacking and holding in contact with one another by pressure the cathode, the plane porous membrane(s), the spacer element(s) and the anode(s), to provide an assembly capable of forming the composite element with the nanowire coating on either one face or both faces of the cathode, and immersing said assembly in the electrolyte prior to the step of carrying out the electrodeposition operation.