Electrochemical deposition of CoFeOC magnetic alloys by reduction of Co +2 and Fe +2 ions in the presence of p-hydroxy coumaric acid

Abstract Electrochemical reduction of Co +2 and Fe +2 ions in the presence of 3.66 mmol dm −3 p-HCA as an organic additive in plating solution gives rise to Co 30.03 Fe 37 O 28.15 C 4.79 alloy composition by quantitative Rutherford back scattering (RBS) analysis, all elements in weight percentages. High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the acidic solution of the dissolved deposit demonstrated that the carbon found in deposit is not present as metal carbide, but it does originate from p-HCA incorporated in deposit. The oxygen is presumably incorporated in a form of metal oxides, metal ferrites, metal hydroxides, and p-HCA molecules. The possible origin of the incorporation of the molecules containing oxygen and carbon into CoFeOC films is discussed. It is demonstrated that all material properties including the transformation of crystalline to amorphous-like structure, surface roughness, mechanical properties (stress, hardness, Young's modulus), an magnetic properties (magnetic saturation and coercivity) of CoFeOC films are dependent on p-HCA concentration in the plating solution.