Solution combustion synthesis of carbon nanotube loaded nickel foams

Abstract Nickel–carbon nanotube (Ni–CNT) foams were synthesized using a solution combustion method. In this method CNTs were added directly to the nickel nitrate–glycine solution followed by combustion on a hot plate at 300 °C under atmospheric conditions. No heat treatment of the resulting foams was necessary to yield relatively high purity (99.7%) foam as determined by X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy and standard combustion techniques. Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses confirmed that there was no visible degradation of the carbon nanotubes in the reacted product. By combining solution combustion with carbon nanotube addition Ni–CNT foams were easily formed. This approach shows promise for being a flexible, general, route for the synthesis of a wide range of transition metal, intermetallic, cermet, and oxide–CNT materials.