Property modulated materials and methods of making the same

A method for producing a property modulated composite, the method comprising:

• providing a bath including at least one electrodepositable species;
• immersing at least a portion of a substrate in the bath;
• passing a current through the substrate at a first setting having a first determined value of beta for a first predetermined duration, beta being defined as a ratio of a value of peak cathodic current density to an absolute value of peak anodic current density, the current having a current density that is controlled as a function of time that is a sine wave, the first setting producing a first material having a first composition and a first nanostructure defined by one or more of a first average grain size, a first grain boundary geometry, a first crystal orientation, and a first defect density;
• and
• passing the current through the substrate at a second setting having a second determined value of beta for a second predetermined duration, the first setting and the second setting further differing by a second plating parameter, the second setting producing a second material having a second composition and a second nanostructure defined by one or more of a second average grain size, a second grain boundary geometry, a second crystal orientation, and a second defect density, the first material and the second material comprising the at least one electrodepositable species, where
• one or more of the first average grain size differs from the second average grain size, the first grain boundary geometry differs from the second grain boundary geometry, the first crystal orientation differs from the second crystal orientation, or the first defect density differs from the second defect density, thereby producing a property modulated composite on the substrate.