Facile fabrication of Zn/Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O flower-like nanostructure on the surface of Zn coated with poly (N-methyl pyrrole)

Zn/Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O flower-like nanostructures was electrodeposited on the coated Zn with poly (N-methyl pyrrole) in 0.1 M Zn (NO3)2 and 0.1 M KCl solution. The morphology and the structure of the Zn/Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O were characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The FT-IR results showed special peaks at 908 and 728 cm−1 related to Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O. The FESEM results indicated that Zn/Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O consists of a flower-like nanostructure and these flower-shaped structures contain many shaped nanopetals with the thickness of 27.8 nm. The XRD result confirmed that the major phase of electrodeposited product in 0.1 M KCl as supporting electrolyte was Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O. The ability of PMPy to create a thin film and the existence of several pores in its matrix act as a mold for the growth of Zn/Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O flower-like nanostructure. The trapping of Cl− and OH− within pores can be considered as the reason for the formation of flowerlike Zn/Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O nanostructures in 0.1 M KCl.