Facile attachment of magnetic nanoparticles to carbon nanotubes via robust linkages and its fabrication of magnetic nanocomposites

Magnetic nanoparticles were facilely attached to multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by high-temperature reaction of ferric triacetylacetonate in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone in the presence of carboxylated MWCNTs. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron morphology and thermogravimetric analysis were used to demonstrate the successful attachment of iron oxide nanoparticles to MWCNTs. It was found that the attached nanoparticles were mainly magnetite. Investigations using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy proved that the tight attachment was due to the robust linkages: metal-carbonyl coordination. Modified carbon nanotubes were introduced into epoxy resins to fabricate magnetic nanocomposites. Magnetic properties were analyzed by vibrating sample magnetometer. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.