Decoration of carbon nanotubes with iron oxide

A magnetic composite of multiwalls carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) decorated with iron oxide nanoparticles was synthesized successfully by a simple and effective chemistry precipitation method. The composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Mössbauer spectrum (MS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The patterns of XRD and MS indicated that MWNTs, γ-Fe₂O₃, and Fe₃O₄ coexisted in the composite. The TEM observation indicated that the nanoparticles of iron oxide were attached on the surface of the MWNTs, and the sizes of the particles ranged from 25 to 80 nm. FTIR spectra showed that SO₄⁻ functional groups existed on the surface of MWNTs after modification by sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (SDBS), which could immobilize Fe³⁺ ions onto the MWNTs. The hysteresis loops of the MWNTs and decorated MWNTs were measured by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and the results showed that the composite was ferromagnetism with the saturated magnetization of 20.07 emu/g, and the coercive of 163.44 Oe.