Instantaneous Formation of Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles on Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene via Solvent-Free Microwave Heating

Abstract

Microwave irradiation was shown to be an effective energy source for the rapid decomposition of organic metal salts (such as silver acetate) in a solid mixture with various carbon and noncarbon substrates under completely solvent-free conditions. The rapid and local Joule heating of microwave absorbing substrates (i.e., carbon-based) resulted in the instantaneous formation of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles on the substrate surfaces within seconds of microwave exposure. Other less absorbing substrates (such as hexagonal boron nitride) required longer exposure times for the salt decomposition to occur. Details of the effects of microwave reaction time, temperature, power, and other experimental parameters were investigated and discussed. The solvent-free microwave method was shown to be widely applicable to various organic metal salts with different substrates including single- and multiwalled carbon nanotubes, graphene, expanded graphite, hexagonal boron nitride and silica-alumina particles, forming substrate-supported metal (e.g., Ag, Au, Co, Ni, Pd, Pt) or metal oxide (e.g., Fe₃O₄, MnO, TiO₂) nanoparticles in high yields within short duration of microwave irradiation. The method was also successfully applied to large structural substrates such as nanotube yarns, further suggesting its application potential and versatility. To demonstrate one potential application, we successfully used both carbon nanotube powder and yarn samples decorated with Ag nanoparticles prepared via the above method to improve data acquisition in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Preparation and characterization of copper oxide nanoparticles decorated carbon nanoparticles using laser ablation in liquid

“…The incorporation of different metal oxide nanostructures on surface of carbon Nano-dimensions substrate let them to be helpful for many applications not just due to particular physical and chemical properties of upheld particles, but furthermore to their big area of the surface, sprightly weight, high mechanical quality, and great electrical and thermal transfer features [5].…”

Effect of Microwave Cure on the Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Tung Oil-Based/Carbon Nanotube Composites

“…The microwave absorbing properties of metallic and aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been proposed as a purification procedure during the preparation of semi-conductive CNTs, as well as for a new illumination technology [33]. More recently, the deposition of various metal nanoparticles on MWCNTs has been achieved after the instantaneous decomposition of transition metal acetates under microwaves [34]. It has also been shown that the efficient carbothermal reduction of copper oxide (CuO) can be achieved by microwave heating in the presence of MWCNTs [35].…”

Silver/graphene nanocomposite: Thermal decomposition preparation and its catalytic performance

“…Some papers also reported that the Ag/graphene or Ag/GO nanocomposites without stabilizing agent in solution were synthesized by kinds of chemical [18e21] or physical [22] methods. Few works were reported with solid-phase reaction to prepare small-sized Ag nanoparticles attached to graphene nanosheets.…”