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Ambient spark generation to synthesize carbon-encapsulated metal nanoparticles in continuous aerosol manner

Nanoscale, ISSN: 2040-3364, Vol: 1, Issue: 3, Page: 339-343
2009
  • 27
    Citations
  • 0
    Usage
  • 27
    Captures
  • 0
    Mentions
  • 0
    Social Media
Metric Options:   Counts1 Year3 Year

Metrics Details

  • Citations
    27
    • Citation Indexes
      27
  • Captures
    27

Article Description

We report the use of spark generation in an inert gas atmosphere to synthesize carbon-encapsulated metal nanoparticles (CEMNs) in a continuous aerosol manner using a metal (nickel, cobalt, iron)-graphite carbon electrode configuration without the use of a vacuum. The spark-generated particles consisted of CEMNs and carbonaceous aggregated debris. The outer layer of the CEMNs showed parallel fringes (ordered graphitic nanostructures) while the debris consisted of disordered nanostructures. Electron and X-ray diffraction showed that both metal and graphite in the CEMNs were the pure elements except for iron-carbon, which contained a carbide phase. Based on the order of the activation energies for carbon diffusion into a metal: iron-carbon (10.5-16.5 kcal mol) < cobalt-carbon (34.7 kcal mol) ∼ nickel-carbon (33.0-34.8 kcal mol), it was concluded that carbide particles form more easily from elemental iron than nickel or cobalt. The metal-to-carbon mass fractions of the spark-generated particles from nickel (anode)-carbon (cathode), cobalt-carbon, and iron-carbon spark configurations were 18.7, 28.3, and 11.2%, respectively, while the mass fractions for the configurations of metal (cathode)-carbon (anode) were 6.4, 9.1, and 4.3%, respectively. Similarly, the yield of CEMNs from the metal (anode)-carbon (cathode) electrodes was higher (54, 61, and 53%) than that of metal (cathode)-carbon (anode) electrodes (18, 30, and 18%). © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2009.

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