Synthesis of bio-nanocomposite coating (silver-multi wall carbon nano tubes) by electroless plating method

Abstract

Silver-multi wall carbon nanotube (Ag-MWCNTs) nano-composite coating was prepared using electroless deposition technique on stainless steel (316L) sheets. Majority of the literature and researches on this issue focuses on the macro and microscale effects of the bath composition as well as process parameters upon the composite coatings microstructure. So far, few researches have studied the bath composition influence upon the structure of phase, microstructure, and surface morphology; therefore, the current investigation compared the influences of the MWCNTs nanoparticles incorporation at various concentrations (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 g/l) on the phase structure, microstructure and surface morphology. The phase structure changes were evaluated via X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. The surface morphology (nanoparticles distribution into silver coating) was investigated via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The chemical composition of the nano-composite coating surface was studied via EDS analysis. In the present work, electroless deposition technique was used successfully in synthesis of silver-based MWCNTs nano-composite, so the EDS results showed that the main elements of the nano-composite coating are carbon, silver and oxygen that are distributed homogeneously over the surface of samples, while the SEM analysis results showed the coating is uniform and covers the stainless steel 316L substrate, also that the distribution of MWCNTs nanoparticles into the Ag matrix coating is more uniform. The XRD analysis results manifested the composition and crystal structure of the nano-composite coating consisted of Ag and MWCNTs fully crystalline structure.