Preparation of single-crystalline nickel nanoflowers and their potential application in sewage treatment

Control of the nucleation and growth rate by H2O2 and NaOH provides a facile route to harvest nickel nanoflowers. The choice of NaOH and ethylene glycol (EG) plays the important role in the formation of Ni nanoflowers; while the addition of H2O2 is another key role for the preparation of uniform Ni nanoflowers. HRTEM and SEAD patterns show that the Ni nanoflowers are single-crystal and grow along the [200] direction. The magnetic measurement demonstrated that the Ni nanoflowers presented ferromagnetic properties. Furthermore. Ni nanoflowers show potential utilization for the removal of dyes in a wastewater treatment process. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.