Synthesis and thermal stability of carbon-supported Ru-Ni core-and-shell nanoparticles

Binary nanoparticles of Ru-Ni supported on a carbon nanolayer and carbon-coated Ru-Ni core-and-shell nanoparticles were synthesized in a single step spray-pyrolysis process. A precursor containing ruthenium chloride and nickel chloride solution mixture was used to deposit Ru-Ni nanoparticles on a carbon nanolayer generated from hexane. Carbon-coated nanoparticles were produced by using ruthenium chloride and nickel chloride solution mixed with methanol and hexane as precursor in the spray-pyrolysis process. A carbon layer that was derived from the thermal decomposition of hexane and methanol forms a protective shell around the binary core-and-shell nanoparticles of Ru-Ni. TEM and EDS spectral graphs confirm the presence of carbon layers encapsulating the Ru-Ni nanoparticles. The encapsulating carbon layers are effective in reducing agglomeration of binary nanoparticles in the spray-pyrolysis process. The carbon-coated binary nanoparticles were subjected to heat treatment at temperatures up to 800 °C, the size and morphology of the nanoparticles before and after heat treatment were compared to examine the thermal stability of the nanoparticles. It was observed that the carbon-coated Ru-Ni nanoparticles exhibit unique thermal stability. EDS, SEM, and TEM data revealed that the morphology of the nanoparticles did not change during the heat treatment.