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Coatings
Special Issues
Electrodeposition, Sustainability, Characterization and Application of Metal and Alloy Coatings
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Electrodeposition, Sustainability, Characterization and Application of Metal and Alloy Coatings

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Surface Characterization, Deposition and Modification".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 December 2026 | Viewed by 4920

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Massimo Innocenti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Università di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy
Interests: electrodeposition; energy; electrocatalysis; fuel cells
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marco Bonechi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Università di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy
Interests: electrodeposition; electroplating; coatings; DFT calculations and modelling; electrocatalysis; fuel cells; oxygen reduction reaction (ORR); hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); precious metal recovery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metal coatings are used in a wide range of applications, from electronic devices to technical applications and ornamental accessories. The study and development of new coatings and alloys are fundamental to these sectors, particularly given the increasing price of raw materials and national and supranational demands for the protection of the environment and health. Therefore, research into new formulations, alloys or a succession of layers that reduce the use of precious or toxic metals is a hot topic across both scientific and industrial fields. The development of new coatings should aim to maintain or enhance the technical characteristics of these materials, depending on their specific applications. This includes mechanical and electrical properties, corrosion resistance and possibly esthetic properties, all of which should be considered for large-scale applications.

In this Special Issue, topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The electrodeposition and characterization of films, or film sequences, that do not contain hazard components (Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd, cyanides, etc.) or involve their emission.
  • The electroplating and characterization of thin films of precious metals (Au, Pt, Pd, Rh, etc.) with high performances.
  • The study of green additives and ligands aimed at optimizing the deposition of metal coatings.
  •  Theoretical studies and computational modelling for the optimization of the homogeneity of the characteristics of metallic films.
  •  The characterization of the properties of metal coatings for their application such as corrosion resistance, durability and other technical properties.
  •  Sustainability in the field of electroplating.

Prof. Massimo Innocenti
Dr. Marco Bonechi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • metal coatings
  • alloy coatings
  • electroplating
  • film characterization
  • thin film

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 4407 KB  
Article
Effect of Physical Control Parameters and Hydrodynamic Behavior on Copper Electrodeposition Efficiency: A Numerical Simulation Study
by Marco Bonechi, Salvatore Di Sivo, Giacomo Zambelli, Walter Giurlani, Jonathan Campeggio, Marina Macchiagodena, Fabio Biffoli, Elena Colombini, Roberto Giovanardi, Claudio Fontanesi, Massimo Innocenti and Marco Pagliai
Coatings 2026, 16(2), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16020162 - 28 Jan 2026
Viewed by 632
Abstract
This study concerns the simulation of copper electrodeposition and related phenomenological and technological aspects as influenced by electrode geometry and electrolyte flow velocity. A multiphysics simulation approach was employed, integrating mathematical models accounting for electrochemical deposition and hydrodynamic behavior. Ionic transport is described [...] Read more.
This study concerns the simulation of copper electrodeposition and related phenomenological and technological aspects as influenced by electrode geometry and electrolyte flow velocity. A multiphysics simulation approach was employed, integrating mathematical models accounting for electrochemical deposition and hydrodynamic behavior. Ionic transport is described by the Nernst-Planck equations, electrode kinetics by Butler–Volmer expressions, and fluid flow by the Navier–Stokes equations. Simplified 2D and 3D models were developed to investigate industrial frame plating electrodeposition processes. The results indicate that the fluid direction of the solution in relation to the position of the substrate within the electrodeposition cell enables the distribution of the thickness of the coating to be optimized. Numerical simulation can be used to guide the choice of the orientation of cathodes to be electroplated inside the electroplating tank, to take into consideration agitation direction, and to achieve the best deposit uniformity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrodeposition, Sustainability, Characterization and Application of Metal and Alloy Coatings)
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14 pages, 3047 KB  
Article
Smartphones as Portable Tools for Reliable Color Determination of Metal Coatings Using a Colorimetric Calibration Card
by Walter Giurlani, Arianna Meoli, Marco Marseglia and Massimo Bonini
Coatings 2025, 15(12), 1411; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15121411 - 2 Dec 2025
Viewed by 2540
Abstract
The use of smartphones and digital cameras as color measurement tools is reported. Initially, a careful mathematical analysis of the intrinsic limitations of using an 8-bit RGB color space was conducted, determining the ΔE in terms of sensitivity and conversion error to the [...] Read more.
The use of smartphones and digital cameras as color measurement tools is reported. Initially, a careful mathematical analysis of the intrinsic limitations of using an 8-bit RGB color space was conducted, determining the ΔE in terms of sensitivity and conversion error to the CIELab space. Metal coatings were subsequently analyzed under extremely different lighting conditions, obtaining equally different colors. The use of a colorimetric reference card, captured alongside the samples, enabled the minimization of these differences. The possibility of obtaining quantitative results using portable and widely available devices, such as smartphones, even in outdoor environments with uncontrollable lighting conditions provides a valuable analytical tool across various fields, including industrial, decorative, medical, and food applications, especially in the characterization of coatings. Eight-bit RGB devices limit sensitivity in the worst case to ∆E = 1.5. ∆E > 20, as measured by spectrophotometer and smartphone, which was reduced to ∆E < 5 after the proposed processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrodeposition, Sustainability, Characterization and Application of Metal and Alloy Coatings)
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Graphical abstract

23 pages, 6732 KB  
Article
Tailoring Tribological Properties and Corrosion Resistance of Self-Lubricating Ti-Mo-N Coatings Prepared by Arc Depositions
by Chenwei Wang, Jing Liu, Gang Liu, Liyuan Xue and Keren Zhang
Coatings 2025, 15(8), 956; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15080956 - 16 Aug 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1207
Abstract
Ti-Mo-N coatings were deposited on GCr15 bearing steel using arc ion plating. The effect of deposition bias on the coating microstructure, mechanical properties, tribological behavior, and electrochemical corrosion resistance was systematically investigated. The coating prepared at −120 V bias showed optimal overall performance. [...] Read more.
Ti-Mo-N coatings were deposited on GCr15 bearing steel using arc ion plating. The effect of deposition bias on the coating microstructure, mechanical properties, tribological behavior, and electrochemical corrosion resistance was systematically investigated. The coating prepared at −120 V bias showed optimal overall performance. It achieved the lowest friction coefficient (0.308) and lowest wear rate (1.99 × 10−6 mm3/N·m). The significant improvement in tribological performance is attributed to the lubricating phase formed during the friction process. XPS analysis confirmed the layered MoO3 formation within the wear scar. Deposition bias also significantly influenced the coating texture. At −120 V, the coating exhibited the strongest (111) crystal plane preferred orientation. This texture strongly correlated with performance enhancement. Regarding electrochemical corrosion, the −120 V coating displayed the lowest corrosion current density (3.62 × 10−9 A/cm2) and best corrosion resistance. Its corrosion morphology showed no obvious pitting, grooves, or other damage features. The results demonstrate the critical role of deposition bias in tailoring Ti-Mo-N coating properties. This research provides essential experimental support and a theoretical basis for designing wear- and corrosion-resistant protective coatings on bearing steel. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrodeposition, Sustainability, Characterization and Application of Metal and Alloy Coatings)
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