Carbon-nickel nanocomposites were prepared by the reaction of fullerene (C 60 ) and nickel hydroxide in an electric furnace at 700°C for 2 h. The hybrid carbon-nickel nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The kinetics and catalytic activity of the carbon-nickel nanocomposites in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol were confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy.