FEATURES OF FORMATION AND GROWTH OF THE NEDLE-LIKE MICROSCRYSTALS IN THE SILVER ELECTRODEPOSITION PROCESS

Recently, much attention is paid to the synthesis and the study of characteristics of metal nano- and microparticles (including noble ones) since they have specific properties associated with the size effect of such particles. At the same time, it is proved that the specific properties are manifested both in the nanoscale particles and in the particles of a definite form or in the materials with the high density of the defect structure. For instance, an important characteristic of catalytic particles is the existence of the maximal number of planes (111) as the most catalytically active. The producing of the materials with new and/or improved physical-and-chemical properties having wide practical significance is the long-term objective. Formerly, one-dimensional metallic structures with the diameter from several nanometers to several microns, the length of which achieved several millimeters were obtained on the metallic coatings. This paper covers the analysis of the experimental facts associated with the features of the morphology and the growth of silver needle-like microcrystals produced using the electrodeposition method. The electrodeposition was carried out according to the two-electrode sсhеme. The morphology of the produced silver microcrystals was studied by the scanning electron microscopy JEOL JСM6000. The authors determined the range of electric current density at which the silver needle-like microcrystals are produced and specified such features of silver needle-like microcrystals growth as the round tips in the form of a hook, pentagonal facet, the absence of sharp tips, cracks, and discontinuities. Moreover, on the silver needle-like microcrystals, the growth steps are observed. The authors specified possible areas of application, for example, in microscopy, as the cantilevers and probes.