Electroless Plating of Nickel Nanoparticles on CdS Nanowires

Preparation of 1D CdS-Ni semiconductor-magnetic nanocomposites was achieved by means of electroless plating of nickel nanoparticles on CdS nanowires. Preformed CdS nanowires with a diameter of ca. 45 nm, a length up to several tens of pm were magnetically functionalised by the hydrazine-induced reduction of nickel chloride in ethylene glycol at 140 degrees C. It was found that nickel nanoparticles with a diameter of ca. 80 nm anchored on the nanowires without any surface pretreatment, Furthermore, a conversion process was detected and confirmed, something which is favourable for the nonepitaxial growth of Ni nanoparticles on CdS nanowires. The products prepared thereof were characterised in detail by XRD, TEM, HR-TEM and EDS techniques. Magnetic property measurements show that the nanocomposites display ferromagnetic properties at room temperature. (C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)