Carbon nanotubes decorated with gold, platinum and rhodium clusters by injection of colloidal solutions into the post-discharge of a RF atmospheric plasma

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simple, one-step atmospheric plasma technique for decorating multi-wall carbon nanotubes with gold, platinum, and rhodium nanoparticles, enhancing control over nanoparticle size and density.

Contribution

A novel atmospheric-pressure plasma method for efficient, controlled decoration of carbon nanotubes with metal nanoparticles in a single step.

Findings

Oxygen addition increases nanoparticle grafting.

Nanoparticles are well-controlled in size.

Method is simple, robust, and effective.

Abstract

In this paper, we present a new, simple, robust and efficient technique to decorate multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) with metal nanoparticles. As case studies, Au, Pt and Rh nanoparticles are grafted onto MWCNTs by spraying a colloidal solution into the post-discharge of an atmospheric argon or argon/oxygen RF plasma. The method that we introduce here is different from those usually described in the literature, since the treatment is operated at atmospheric pressure, allowing the realization in only one step of the surface activation and the deposition processes. We demonstrate experimentally that the addition of oxygen gas in the plasma increases significantly the amount of grafted metal nanoparticles. Moreover, TEM pictures clearly show that the grafted nanoparticles are well controlled in size.