Work

One-pot continuous reactor for Ni chemical vapor deposition onto porous supports

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: A one-pot continuous reactor for depositing thin layers of pure Ni onto porous substrates is presented. The system adapts the Mond process to a lab-scale configuration, where Ni(CO)4 acts as a short-lived Ni carrier within a closed loop exploiting reversible Ni–CO complexation, controlled thermal gradients, and full gas recirculation. This coupled with sub-atmospheric operation ensured intrinsic safety. Ni deposition on copper meshes yielded uniform coatings, as confirmed by gravimetric, ICP, SEM, EDX, and good electrochemical activity for water electrolysis. The effects of Ni donor pretreatment and operating temperatures were investigated and interpreted using a coupled thermodynamic and transport model. High deposition efficiencies were achieved within a defined operating window with minimal mass-transfer limitations. The transition from heterogeneous deposition to homogeneous gas-phase decomposition was identified near 200 °C, below typical literature values. This process provides a scalable and safe route to manufacture and recondition high-quality high-surface area Ni-coated electrodes.

Source: Surfaces and Interfaces

DOI: 10.1016/j.surfin.2026.110658