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Size-tuneable synthesis of nickel nanoparticles

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Abstract

A facile method is described for synthesising nickel nanoparticles via the thermal decomposition of an organometallic precursor in the presence of excess n-trioctylphosphine as a capping ligand. For the first time, alkylamines with different chain lengths were employed as size-limiting agents in this synthesis. A direct correlation is demonstrated between the size of the alkylamine ligands used and the mean diameter of the nickel nanoparticles obtained. The use of bulky oleylamine as a size-limiting agent over a reaction period of 30 min led to the growth of nickel nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 2.8 ± 0.9 nm. The employment of less bulky N,N-dimethylhexadecylamine groups led to the growth of nickel nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 4.4 ± 0.9 nm. By increasing the reaction time from 30 to 240 min, while employing oleylamine as the size-limiting agent, the mean diameter of the nickel nanoparticles was increased from 2.8 ± 0.9 to 5.1 ± 0.7 nm. Decreasing the amount of capping ligand present in the reaction system allowed further growth of the nickel nanoparticles to 17.8 ± 1.3 nm. The size, structure and morphology of the nanoparticles synthesised were characterised by transmission electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction; while magnetic measurements indicated that the particles were superparamagnetic in nature.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge financial support from Science Foundation Ireland (Project: 06/IN.1/I98). This research was also enabled by the Higher Education Authority Program for Research in Third Level Institutions (2007–2011) via the INSPIRE programme. Microscopic analysis of the Ni samples was undertaken at the Electron Microscopy & Analysis Facility (EMAF) at Tyndall.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials Chemistry & Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry and the Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

    Keith P. Donegan, David J. Otway, Michael A. Morris & Justin D. Holmes

  2. Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland

    Keith P. Donegan, Michael A. Morris & Justin D. Holmes

  3. Microsystems Centre, Tyndall National Institute, Lee Maltings, Cork, Ireland

    Jeffrey F. Godsell & Saibal Roy

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  1. Keith P. Donegan
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  2. Jeffrey F. Godsell
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  6. Justin D. Holmes
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Correspondence to Justin D. Holmes.

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Donegan, K.P., Godsell, J.F., Otway, D.J. et al. Size-tuneable synthesis of nickel nanoparticles. J Nanopart Res 14, 670 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-011-0670-y

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