Preparation and catalytic property of a non-crystalline alloy of iron-boron with one-dimensional nanostructures

This paper describes our recent progress on the synthesis and catalytic hydrogenation property of iron - boron non-crystalline alloy with one-dimensional nanostructures, including nanowires, nanorods and nanotubes. The synthesis of one-dimensional nanostructures of iron - boron non-crystalline alloy involves the use of lyotropic liquid crystals of non-ionic - anionic mixed surfactants as templates. The non-ionic surfactants used are Tween 40 ( polyoxyethylene sorbitan monopalmitate) and Tween 60 ( polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate), and the anionic surfactant is CSA ( camphorsulfonic acid). The non-crystalline iron - boron nanotubes thus prepared are more effective than the corresponding nanowires and nanorods for the catalytic hydrogenation of m-nitrotoluene. The lyotropic liquid crystals of mixed surfactants provide an effective template for the fabrication of inorganic materials with one-dimensional nanostructures.