Surface Oxidized Carbon Nanotubes Uniformly Coated with Nickel Ferrite Nanoparticles

We report a facile non-templated hydrothermal synthesis method for the production of nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4)/carbon nanotube nanocomposite comprised of oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotube (o-MWCNT) uniformly coated with nanoparticles of NiFe2O4 (1–5 nm). The carboxylate groups of the o-MWCNT coordinate the nanoparticles strongly at its surface, and the size of the NiFe2O4 particles can be controlled by the subtle variation of reaction time and the quantity of o-MWCNT used. We believe that this method can be extended to allow the uniform coating of different spinel-type materials onto o-MWCNT and other nanocarbon materials.