Effect of solid loading on the electrophoretic deposition kinetics of nano-Pb₃O₄ coating

Due to noticeable composition stability, remarkable photoelectric sensitivity in the visible spectral range, excellent pyroelectric and ferroelectric properties, and high resistivity, red lead (Pb₃O₄) coatings are widely utilized in various optoelectronic structures and devices. In this work, using ethanol as solvent and nitric acid or polyethyleneimine (PEI) as surface charge modifier, pure nano-Pb₃O₄ coating was successfully prepared by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) methods. Especially, the suitable service cases for both PEI and nitric acid were investigated in detail. For EPD of nano-Pb₃O₄ at low solid loading (e.g., 1 g·L⁻¹), employing nitric acid can realize a higher deposition rate than employing PEI. In contrast, for EPD of nano-Pb₃O₄ at high solid loading (e.g., 10 or 20 g·L⁻¹), PEI is more suitable than nitric acid. This study can lead to advances in assembling Pb₃O₄ coating for the applications such as advanced optical data carriers and elements of photon technologies and radioelectronics.