Decoration of carbon nanotubes with nearly monodisperse MIIFe2O4 (MFe2O4, M = Fe, Co, Ni) nanoparticles

Magnetic monodisperse ferrite MFe2O4 (M = Fe, Co, Ni) nanoparticles have been successfully deposited on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by in situ high-temperature hydrolysis and inorganic polymerization of metal salts and CNTs in polyol solution. X-ray diffraction (XRD). transmission electron microscopy (TEM). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) investigations were used to characterize the final products. The influencing factors for formation of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles along CNTs have also been discussed briefly. The main advantage of this synthetic strategy is that it is beneficial for the fabrication of magnetic CNTs with a compact layer of nanoparticles and could be extended to prepare series of ferrite/CNTs nanocomposites via the substitution of metal cations. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.