Plasma-Sputtered Growth of Ni-Pd Bimetallic Nanoparticles on Carbon Nanotubes for Toluene Sensing

The properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be effectively tailored by decorating their surface with metal nanoparticles. For the decoration, first plasma functionalization is used to add oxygen chemical groups to the CNTs surface. Afterwards, the Ox-CNTs are decorated with Ni-Pd bimetallic nanoparticles using plasma sputtering deposition, a clean, fast, and environmentally friendly functionalization method. The grafted oxygen groups serve as nucleation sites for the growth of the bimetallic nanoparticles. Finally, the Ni-Pd nanoparticle-decorated CNTs are assessed as a sensing layer for the detection of toluene.

Automated summary

The properties of carbon nanotubes can be modified by adding metal nanoparticles to their surface. This is achieved by first functionalizing the CNTs with oxygen groups using plasma, followed by decorating them with Ni-Pd bimetallic nanoparticles using plasma sputtering deposition. The oxygen groups act as nucleation sites for the growth of the bimetallic nanoparticles. The resulting Ni-Pd nanoparticle-decorated CNTs are then evaluated for their sensing capabilities in detecting toluene.