In this work, Ni-Co oxides coatings were produced using electrochemical techniques (chronopotentiometry and/or linear voltammetry) and solutions containing Ni2+ and Co2+ ions in the molar ratio 1: 2, sodium citrate as the ligand, and different pH values (7.5 and 10.5). Energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy (LRS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to characterize these coatings. The results showed that both pH values favored the production of Ni-Co oxide phases, independent of the electrochemical technique used. The EDS analysis indicated that it was possible to produce of oxides coating presenting different Ni:Co ratios using electrodeposition process. However, the morphology, the microstructure and the electrocatalytic ability of the coatings depended on both the pH and on the electrochemical technique used to produce them. The coatings produced using pH 10.5 were suitable to be used as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

Zn-Co alloy coatings were produced on carbon steel, at room temperature, from citrate baths (0.100 mol L-1) containing [Zn2+]= [Co2+] = 0.05 mol L-1. Coatings with %m/m Co > %m/m Zn were observed under all deposition conditions, except for I = 10 A m-2. As the current density (I) was increased, a significant decrease (p<0.05) in %m/m Zn was noted, and the highest value of % m/m Co was observed at 80 A m-2. The Co-rich coatings presented refined microstructure, with small grain sizes. The smallest Icorr of the studied substrate/coatings systems, 2.4 µA cm-2, was obtained at I = 10 A m-2. Under these conditions, the coatings contained ~ 30 % m/m Co and 70 % m/m Zn and only the γ-ZnCo phase was obtained. The Icorr found in the present work is smaller than those usually found in the literature for Zn-Co coatings with small Co content.

In the present work, cysteine and allyl alcohol were added to citrate baths as additives to Cu-Zn coatings on steel substrates. In order to verify the effects of the deposition parameters (current density, mechanical stirring speed, and additives) on the coating composition, electrochemical behavior, morphology, and microstructure properties of Cu-Zn coatings, the electrodeposition of the alloy was carried out using an experimental composite design 2³, in which these parameters were considered the entry variables and the measured properties were the response variables. The confidence level was 95% and the results were shown as response surface diagrams. It was possible to verify that the current density affected the zinc content in the coating, while the coating produced from cysteine-contained bath presented the worse anticorrosive performance. In a general way, it was possible to observe that the studied parameters affected the morphology, grain size, and the electrochemical behavior of these coatings, although only a few response variables were statistically influenced by them.