Studies on the chemical synthesis of nanosized nickel powder and its stability

The synthesis of nanosized nickel colloids is investigated by using nickel chloride as the precursor, hydrazine as the reducing agent and palladium as the nucleation agent. High purity nickel can be obtained when the reaction temperature is above 80degreesC. At a lower reaction temperature, nickel hydroxide is also present in the precipitate form. Starting concentration of nickel ion is a dominant factor in affecting colloidal sizes, while other parameters such as reaction temperature and quantity of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) exhibit only minor effects. Although PVP has some dispersion power, it is not capable of preventing nickel colloids from gradual agglomeration. Our study shows that the subsequent addition of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) after synthesis can help to stabilize the nickel suspension. This stabilized suspension can then be de-stabilized by changing pH to lower than 4 and vice versa. This reversible stabilization-de-stabilization process is likely due to the behaviour of PVP-PAA complex in the aqueous solutions.