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Multi‐walled carbon nanotubes decorated by platinum catalyst nanoparticles—Examination and microanalysis using scanning and transmission electron microscopies
Author(s) -
GUINEL M. JF.,
BRODUSCH N.,
VERDEGÓMEZ Y.,
ESCOBARMORALES B.,
GAUVIN R.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/jmi.12067
Subject(s) - materials science , carbon nanotube , platinum , transmission electron microscopy , scanning electron microscope , field emission microscopy , field electron emission , nucleation , nanoparticle , platinum nanoparticles , nanotechnology , microanalysis , stacking , scanning transmission electron microscopy , catalysis , high resolution transmission electron microscopy , carbon fibers , chemical engineering , composite number , composite material , electron , diffraction , chemistry , optics , organic chemistry , physics , engineering , quantum mechanics
Summary Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) decorated with platinum (Pt) nanoparticles (NPs) have been characterized using a cold field‐emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a high resolution field‐emission transmission electron microscope (TEM). With this particular composite material, the complementary nature of the two instruments was demonstrated. Although the long CNTs were found to be mostly bent and defective in some parts, the nucleation of Pt occurred randomly and uniformly covered the CNTs. The NPs displayed a large variation in size, were sometimes defective with twins and stacking faults, and were found to be faceted with the presence of surface steps. The shape and size of the NPs and the presence of defects may have significant consequences on the activity of the Pt catalyst material. Also, thin layers of platinum oxide were identified on the surface of some NPs.