Decorating carbon nanotubes with Ni particles using an electroless deposition technique for hydrogen storage applications

Kuan Yu Lin, Wen Ta Tsai*, Jeng-Kuei Chang

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

65 Scopus citations

Abstract

A facile and low-cost electroless deposition technique is utilized to decorate multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with Ni. The obtained composites are attempted to use as hydrogen storage materials, whose performance is evaluated with a high-pressure microbalance. Effects of the concentration of plating solution, deposition time, and reaction temperature on the loading amount, particle size, morphology, and distribution density of Ni are studied using a transmission electron microscope. With proper deposition parameters, highly dispersed Ni nanoparticles with a uniform diameter can be fabricated on CNTs, causing a notable hydrogen spillover reaction on the composite. The optimum hydrogen storage capacity of the prepared Ni-decorated CNTs with a average diameter of 5 nm, measured at 6.89 MPa and 25 °C, is 1.02 wt%, which is almost three times higher than that (0.35 wt%) of pristine CNTs.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)7555-7562
Number of pages8
JournalInternational Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Volume35
Issue number14
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2010

Keywords

  • Carbon nanotube
  • Electroless deposition
  • Hydrogen storage
  • Nano-composite
  • Ni nanoparticle

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