Fabrication of Hg-Carbon Nanotubes Composite Materials in Solution

Abstract

In this study, we present a novel solution-phase synthetic method for the fabrication of Hg-CNTs assemblies. Upon injection of CNTs solution into aqueous solution of mercury salt, Hg-CNTs composite materials with unusual superstructure were formed by spontaneous reduction of metal ions around the sidewalls of CNTs. This work is motivated by recent observations that nano-sized metal particles form spontaneously on the sidewalls of CNTs in solutions containing metal ions. 8,9 The deposition of particles proceeds without the aid of reducing agents or catalysts. Experimental results show that the present method is facile and simple with high preparation success rates. Hg-CNTs composites were characterized with field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Raman spectroscopy, In particular, Raman spectroscopy permits distinguishing charge transfer between CNTs and mercury.