Electrochemical Synthesis of Al/CuO Thermite Films on Copper Substrates

The CuO micro/nanowires film has been prepared successfully on a Cu substrate using a combination of an electrochemical anodization and an annealing treatment. Its morphology and phase composition have been systemically examined. The vertically aligned CuO micro/nanowires can form a skeleton to facilitate the embedment of Al nanoparticles so that their interfacial contacts will expand significantly to increase the total energy release. The CuO micro/nanowires can be used to synthesize the Al/CuO composite thermite film using an electrophoretic deposition of Al nanoparticles. The thermal analyses reveal that the Al/CuO composite thermite film can release a heat output of 2009 J·g–1 at 10 min deposition. This work develops an effective protocol for the synthesis of the Al/CuO composite thermite film, which is highly compatible with microelectromechanical systems to realize functional energetic chips.