A structure and morphology of nanocomposites composed of carbon nanotubes with a varying fraction of platinum nanoparticles

A structure of nanocomposite materials consisting of carbon nanotubes with a varying fraction of platinum nanoparticles (5, 10 and 20 wt %) is compared in the paper. High-quality CNTs obtained in the CVD process, 100-200 μm long with a standard deviation of below 20% and with a diameter of 10-20 nm, with a standard deviation of below 30%, were used in the research. Raw CNTs did not contain metallic impurities or amorphous carbon deposits. An indirect method of bonding the earlier produced platinum nanoparticles to the surface of functionalised carbon nanotubes was employed to deposit platinum nanoparticles onto the surface of carbon nanotubes. A full array of changes in the loading of carbon nanotubes' surface with platinum nanoparticles was achieved as a result of the experiments performed, starting with homogenous deposition to the clearly developed large agglomerations of platinum nanoparticles. The studies carried out using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy and X-ray structural analysis have confirmed differences in the morphology, homogeneity and density of coating the carbon nanotubes' surface with variedly concentrated platinum nanoparticles. Differences were also revealed in the structure of the newly formed nanocomposites. A nanocomposite with a 5% fraction of platinum nanoparticles demonstrates the best structure-related properties for the materials obtained.