Facile production of very small nickel metal nanoparticle on the surface of oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes have been considered as excellent support materials for metal catalysts due to their high specific surface area, thermal and chemical stability. Metallic nanoparticles decorated with carbon nanotubes are gaining extensive attention due to their fundamental and technological importance. In this contribution, we report facile production of nickel nanoparticles (2 – 3 nm) decorated on aqua regia treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via wet-chemical method using ethylene glycol as reducing agent for nickel salt and stabilizing agent for nanotubes. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and elemental mapping confirmed the formation of nickel nanoparticles with average diameter in the range of 2 – 3 nm which are uniformly distributed on the external surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The results of Raman Spectroscopy, Infrared Spectroscopy and Thermal analysis (TG, DTA) are also reported.