Controllable preparation of Ni nanoparticles for catalysis of coiled carbon fibers growth

The mass preparation of high-purity coiled carbon fibers (CCFs) remains challenging due to the high complexity and low controllability of reaction. In this work, a controllable growth of Ni particles was fulfilled by liquid phase reduction of nickel sulfate with hydrazine hydrate. The impacts of the reaction temperature, NaOH concentration, and reaction time on the particle size and purity were investigated. The as-deposited Ni particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. In addition, these Ni particles were also applied in preparing high-purity CCFs both on graphite and ceramic substrates. The diameter of the as-grown carbon microcoil was about 500 nm, and the related growth mechanism was discussed.