Large-scale preparation of carbon-encapsulated cobalt nanoparticles by the catalytic method

Abstract

With strategical selection of the water-soluble sodium chloride (NaCl) as the supporting material, we realized large-scale production of carbon-encapsulated cobalt nanoparticles with a productivity of almost 100%. The products can be fully separated from the supporting materials by simple washing process. When NaCl, NaF and Al 2O 3 were used as supporting materials, the morphologies of the carbon products changed from carbon-encapsulated magnetic nanoparticles (CEMNs) to an intermediate state (quasi-nanocages) between CEMNs and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and then to CNTs, respectively. NaCl shows strong inhibiting effects on the growth of CNTs, favoring the formation of CEMNs.