Abstract

By thermal decomposition of metal salts, palladium, platinum, silver and gold nanoparticles, with average size of 7 nm, 8 nm, 17 nm and 8 nm, respectively, were grown on carbon nanotubes. TEM observations showed that most of the nanoparticles synthesized stuck on the outer surface of the carbon nanotubes. The size of nanoparticles can be adjusted by changing the metal to carbon ratio. Small nanoparticles are prone to agglomerate under intense bombardment from the electron beam. By comparison, nanoparticles were scarcely found on graphite or active carbon using the same synthesis process. HRTEM and XRD investigations revealed the well-crystallized structure and a lattice contraction of these nanoparticles.