Direct route for preparing multi-oxide inorganic nanocomposites of nanoparticles-decorated nanotubes

Abstract

To address the need for new synthetic methods to prepare novel nanocomposites, here we present a direct route for preparing multi-oxide inorganic composites with specific architecture of nanoparticles decorating nanotubes. Our route involves cycles of impregnation of a metallo-organic precursor of nickel into hematite nanotubes and subsequently thermally decomposing it, that we named IDC. We characterized the nanotubes before and after ten sequential IDC. The obtained material is a composite of NiO nanoparticles grown onto the walls of hematite nanotubes. Hematite nanotubes are morphologic and chemically stable during the entire synthetic process. In the synthetic route tested by us, virtually any metallo-organic precursor/combinations of precursors can be used. Our method can be explored to obtain tailored nanocomposites consisting of nanoparticles with different oxides combinations decorating the walls of nanotubes, with potential use such as in catalysis and biomedicine.