Abstract
Through self-assembly monolayer surface treatment, metal oxidenanoparticles uniformly dispersed onto carbon nanotubes (CNTs) surfaceare investigated in this paper. Via acid treatment, it is confirmed metaloxide nanoparticles are effectively bonded on the CNTs. By furtheroxidization treatment, it was found that better bonding effects are resultedfrom the longer oxidization time (higher O/C ratio). Surface bondingfunctional groups convert the surface property of CNTs fromhydrophobic to hydrophilic and they act an important role to link withmetal ions via the ionic adsorption and van der Walls effects. The averagediameter of the bonding particles through the self-assembly monolayersurface treatment is about 5-10 nm.Through nickel oxide nanoparticles bonded on the surface of the CNTsand the precursor gas of toluene in 900℃, carbon nanoclusters can besynthesized on the CNTs. After synthesizing, no carbon nanoclusterswere observed but merely a layer of accumulated amorphous carbon onthe sample was formed without any tin oxide nanoparticles bonded on theCNTs. It was observed that the morphology of the nanoclusters grown through the catalysts exhibits tube-like as well as rod-like structures. Theincomplete thermal cracking level of the toluene sparks off the specificstructures of the carbon nanoclusters. The more tin oxides bonded on theCNTs the more carbon nanoclusters formed. It also contributes to thehigher BET surface area for better application.