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Decorating multiwalled carbon nanotubes with zinc oxide nano-crystallines through hydrothermal growth process

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Abstract

Multiwalled-carbon nanotubes coated with nano-crystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) was prepared by in situ growth of nano zinc oxide on the surfaces of carbon nanotubes through hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis techniques were used to characterize the samples. It was observed that a layer of nano-crystalline ZnO with the wurtzite hexagonal crystal structure was uniformly coated on the nanotube surfaces with good adhesion, which resulted in the formation of a novel ZnO-nanotube nano composite. In this work, the carbon nanotubes decorated by metal oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple chemical-solution route which is suitable for the large-scale production with low cost.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4L7, Canada

    ChenSha Li

  2. Department of Materials Science, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, 150001, China

    YingJie Qiao

  3. Materials Design & Integration Laboratory, Xerox Research Centre of Canada, Ontario, L5K 2L1, Canada

    YuMing Li

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  1. ChenSha Li
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  2. YingJie Qiao
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  3. YuMing Li
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Correspondence to ChenSha Li.

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Li, C., Qiao, Y. & Li, Y. Decorating multiwalled carbon nanotubes with zinc oxide nano-crystallines through hydrothermal growth process. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 55, 1365–1370 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-012-4787-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-012-4787-8

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