Effective reduction in the nanoparticle sizes of NiO obtained via the pyrolysis of nickel malonate precursor modified using oleylamine surfactant

• Published in: Journal of solid state chemistry Vol. 241; pp. 137 - 142
• Main Authors: Lontio Fomekong, Roussin, Ngolui Lambi, John, Ebede, Guy Roland, Kenfack Tsobnang, Patrice, Tedjieukeng Kamta, Hypolite Mathias, Ngnintedem Yonti, Cedrik, Delcorte, Arnaud
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2016
• Subjects: ELECTRONS; FOURIER TRANSFORMATION; INFRARED SPECTRA; INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; ION MICROPROBE ANALYSIS; MASS SPECTROSCOPY; NANOPARTICLES; NICKEL; Nickel malonate; Nickel oxide; NICKEL OXIDES; Oleylamine; PARTICLE SIZE; Particle sizes; PRECIPITATION; PYROLYSIS; SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; SPECIFIC SURFACE AREA; SURFACES; SURFACTANTS; THERMAL GRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS; TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; X-RAY DIFFRACTION; Nickel malonate; Precipitation; Particle sizes; Nickel oxide; Oleylamine
• ISSN: 0022-4596; 1095-726X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2016.06.012

Nickel oxide nanoparticles were synthesized via thermal decomposition of two precursors, the first, a simple nickel malonate and the second, a nickel malonate modified by oleylamine, a surfactant, both having been synthesized by precipitation. While FTIR, TGA and ToF-SIMS were used to characterize the two precursors and to show the presence of oleylamine in the modified precursor, XRD, SEM, TEM and BET were employed to investigate the structure, the morphology and the specific surface area of the decomposition products obtained after pyrolysis. The results showed that the modification of nickel malonate by oleylamine was effective. The XRD results, which showed a cubic structure for the NiO obtained, suggest with SEM an important particle size reduction (at least 54%) when oleylamine was used to modify the nickel malonate precursor. The SEM images also showed a well-defined spherical nanoparticle morphology in both cases, not affected by the presence of oleylamine. The TEM also confirmed the reduction of particle size and their spherical nature but at the same time showed that, in the presence of oleylamine, there was no agglomeration resulting in a more uniform particle size distribution. The specific surface area of the NiO obtained by the oleylamine-modified precursor was 4.7 times larger than that obtained with the regular precursor. This again confirms the particle size reduction. [Display omitted] •Nickel malonate precursor has been synthesized by precipitation method.•This precursor was successfully modified by a surfactant (oleylamine).•NiO was identified as the decomposition products of the previous precursors.•Oleylamine has provoked around 54% of particle size reduction of the NiO.