Synthesis and Properties of Magnetic Composites of Carbon Nanotubes/Fe Nanoparticle

Magnetic composites of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are synthesized by the in situ catalytic decomposition of benzene at temperatures as low as 400°C over Fe nanoparticles (mean grain size = 26nm) produced by sol-gel fabrication and hydrogen reduction. The yield of CNT composite is up to about 3025% in a run of 6h. FE-SEM and HRTEM investigations reveal that one-dimensional carbon species are produced in a large quantity. A relatively high value of magnetization is observed for the composite due to the encapsulation of ferromagnetic Fe₃C and/or α-Fe. The method is suitable for the mass-production of CNT composites that contain magnetic nanoparticles.