Nickel nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes are a highly active,selective and stable CO_(2) methanation catalyst

CO_(2) methanation using nickel-based catalysts has attracted large interest as a promising power-to-gas route.Ni nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped CNTs with Ni loadings in the range from 10 wt% to 50 wt% were synthesized by impregnation,calcination and reduction and characterized by elemental analysis,X-ray powder diffraction,H_(2) temperature-programmed reduction,CO pulse chemisorption and transmission electron microscopy.The Ni/NCNT catalysts were highly active in CO_(2) methanation at atmospheric pressure,reaching over 50% CO_(2) conversion and over 95% CH_(4) selectivity at 340℃ and a GHSV of50,000 mL g^(-1) h^(-1) under kinetically controlled conditions.The small Ni particle sizes below 10 nm despite the high Ni loading is ascribed to the efficient anchoring on the N-doped CNTs.The optimum loading of 30 wt%-40 wt% Ni was found to result in the highest Ni surface area,the highest degree of conversion and the highest selectivity to methane.A constant TOF of 0.3 s^(-1) was obtained indicating similar catalytic properties of the Ni nanoparticles in the range from 10 wt%to 50 wt% Ni loading.Long-term experiments showed that the Ni/NCNT catalyst with 30 wt% Ni was highly stable for 100 h time on stream.

Preparation and UV property of size-controlled monodisperse nickel nanoparticles (<10 nm) by reductive method

Nickel nanoparticles （〈10 nm） were success fully synthesized using a reductive method of nickel chloride with sodium borohydride in the ethanol/poly vinylpyrrolidone （PVP） system. The effects of three fac tors, such as the concentration of the nickel ions, the time of reaction, and the amount of PVP （surfactant）, were discussed. The possible growth process of the particles and optimum reactive conditions was also investigated. The result of transmission electron microscopy （TEM） reveals that these nickel nanoparticles are spherical. The average diameter could be controlled as 25 nm under selected conditions. Highresolution TEM and energydispersive spectroscopy results indicates that the nickel nanoparticles are pure. The UVvisible light absorption spectrum shows that the peaks of nickel nanoparticles moves toward the short wavelength along with the decrease of sizes.

Field emission properties of a-C and a-C：H films deposited on silicon surfaces modified with nickel nanoparticles

The a-C and a-C：H films are deposited on silicon surfaces modified with and without nickel nanoparticles by using mid-frequency magnetron sputtering. The microstructures and morphologies of the films are analyzed by Raman spec- troscopy and atomic force microscopy. Field emission behaviors of the deposited films with and without nickel nanopar- ticles modification are comparatively investigated. It is found that the hydrogen-free carbon film exhibits a high field emission current density and low turn-on electric field compared with the hydrogenated carbon film. Nickel modifying could increase the current density, whereas it has no significant effect on the turn-on electric field. The mechanism of field electron emission of a sample is discussed from the surface morphologies of the films and nickel nanoparticle roles in the interface between film and substrate.

Selected gas response measurements using reduced graphene oxide decorated with nickel nanoparticles

The work reports the synthesis of nickel nanoparticles supported on thermally reduced graphene oxides(rGO)in the ionic liquid[BMIm][NTf_(2)]through microwave decomposition reaction.Ni@rGO with the polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)as binder was positively tested for its response towards the oxidizing gas nitrogen dioxide(10 ppm in air),the reducing gas carbon monoxide(3000 ppm in N_(2))and the volatile organic compound(VOC)acetone(35,000 ppm in air).The results from different gases were compared at different temperatures with the best results for NO_(2) at 200℃.Additionally,it is shown for NO_(2) gas that the Ni@rGO-PEDOT:PSS polymer composite gives better results than the rGO-PEDOT:PSS polymer composite.After the heat treatment the oxidation state of pure nickel nanoparticles were confirmed by powder diffraction.

Improving sulfur transformation of lean electrolyte lithium-sulfur battery using nickel nanoparticles encapsulated in N-doped carbon nanotubes

Efficient redox reactions of lean electrolyte lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries highly rely on rational catalyst design.Herein,we report an electrocatalyst based on N-doped carbon nanotubes(CNT)-encapsulated Ni nanoparticles(Ni@NCNT)as kinetics regulators for Li-S batteries to propel the polysulfide-involving multiphase transformation.Moreover,such a CNT-encapsulation strategy greatly prevents the aggregation of Ni nanoparticles and enables the extraordinary structural stability of the hybrid electrocatalyst,which guarantees its persistent catalytic activity on sulfur redox reactions.When used as a modified layer on a commercial separator,the Ni@NCNT interlayer contributes to stabilizing S cathode and Li anode by significantly retarding the shuttle effect.The corresponding batteries with a 3.5 mg cm^(−2)sulfur loading achieve the promising cycle stability with~85%capacity retention at the electrolyte/sulfur ratios of 5 and 3μL mg^(−1).Even at a high loading of 12.2 mg cm^(−2),the battery affords an areal capacity of 7.5 mA h cm^(−2).

Tribological properties and tribomechanism of nickel nanoparticles in-situ synthesized in rapeseed oil

Nickel(Ni)nanoparticles can be enriched on the surface of iron-based frictional pairs,which provides the possibility to get rid of the competitive adsorption between the polar species of vegetable oil and the surface-active nano-additives thereon.In this paper,nickel acetylacetonate was used as a precursor to in-situ synthesize nickel nanoparticles with an average diameter of about 12 nm in rapeseed oil(RO)as the reducing agent,surface modifier,and solvent as well.The tribological properties of the as-synthesized Ni nanoparticles were evaluated with a four-ball tribometer,and their tribomechanism was investigated based on the characterizations of the tribofilm on rubbed steel surfaces by the scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).It was found that the Ni nanoparticles in-situ prepared in the RO with a mass fraction of 0.3%can reduce the wear scar diameter(WSD)of the steel ball by 36%.This is because,on the one hand,the Ni nanoparticles are adsorbed on the rubbed steel surfaces to repair or fill up the micro-pits and grooves thereon.On the other hand,Ni nanoparticles participate in tribochemical reactions with atmospheric O and steel substrate to form the tribochemical reaction film on the rubbed steel surfaces with the assistance of friction-induced heat and applied normal load.In addition,an amorphous carbon film is formed on the rubbed surface via the carbonization of base oil under the catalysis of Ni nanoparticles.The adsorbed Ni layer,the tribochemical reaction film,and the carbon layer comprise a composite tribofilm composed of amorphous carbon,polar fatty acid,metallic nickel,iron oxides,and nickel oxides on the rubbed steel surfaces,which contributes to significantly improving the antiwear ability and load-carrying capacity of the RO for the steel-steel sliding pair.

Monodisperse Nickel Nanoparticles Supported on SiO_(2) as an Effective Catalyst for the Hydrolysis of Ammonia-Borane

Monodisperse Ni nanoparticles(NPs)have been synthesized by the reduction of nickel(Ⅱ)acetylacetonate with the borane–tributylamine complex in a mixture of oleylamine and oleic acid.These Ni NPs are an active catalyst for the hydrolysis of the ammonia–borane(AB,H3N⋅BH3)complex under ambient conditions and their activities are dependent on the chemical nature of the oxide support that they were deposited on.Among various oxides(SiO_(2),Al_(2)O_(3),and CeO_(2))tested,SiO_(2)was found to enhance Ni NP catalytic activity due to the etching of the 3.2 nm Ni NPs giving Ni(Ⅱ)ions and the subsequent reduction of Ni(Ⅱ)that led to the formation of 1.6 nm Ni NPs on the SiO_(2)surface.The kinetics of the hydrolysis of AB catalyzed by Ni/SiO_(2)was shown to be dependent on catalyst and substrate concentration as well as temperature.The Ni/SiO_(2)catalyst has a turnover frequency(TOF)of 13.2 mol H_(2)⋅(mol Ni)^(–1)⋅min^(–1)—the best ever reported for the hydrolysis of AB using a nickel catalyst,an activation energy of 34 kJ/mol±2 kJ/mol and a total turnover number of 15,400 in the hydrolysis of AB.It is a promising candidate to replace noble metals for catalyzing AB hydrolysis and for hydrogen generation under ambient conditions.

Catalytic hydrogenation of aromatic nitro compounds by functionalized ionic liquids-stabilized nickel nanoparticles in aqueous phase:The influence of anions

Two kinds of nickel nanoparticles (NPs) well-dispersed in aqueous phase have been conveniently prepared by reducing nickel(II) salt with hydrazine in the presence of amino group (-NH2) functionalized ionic liquids:1-(3-aminopropyl)-2,3-dimethylimidazolium bromide ([AMMIM][Br]) and 1-(3-aminopropyl)-2,3-dimethylimidazolium acetate ([AMMIM][AcO]).The Ni(0) particles are composed of smaller ones which assemble in a blackberry-like shape.The Ni nanoparticles stabilized with [AMMIM][AcO] are much larger than those stabilized with [AMMIM][Br],and the former unexpectedly give much higher activity in the selective hydrogenation of citral and nitrobenzene (NB) in aqueous phase.The Ni(0) nanocatalysts dispersed in aqueous phase are stable enough to be reused at least five times without significant loss of catalytic activity and selectivity during the catalytic recycles.

Synergistic anticancer effect of green synthesized nickel nanoparticles and quercetin extracted from Ocimum sanctum leaf extract

Leaf extract of medicinally important plant Ocimurn sanctum （O. sanctum） has been used for the synthesis of nickel nanoparticles （NiGs） and extraction of quercetin （Qu）. Qu has been conjugated with NiGs for enhanced anticancer effect on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Extracted Qu was conjugated with polyethylene glycol （PEG） coated NiGs （Qu-PEG-NiGs） which was used as carriers for breast cancer treatment. Anticancer activity of Qu-PEG-NiGs was evaluated by assessing cell viability, reactive oxygen species （ROS） production, caspase activity, mitochondrial membrane potential （MMP） and changes in nuclear morphology （staining methods）. 0.85 mg of quercetin was extracted from I g of leaves with retention time （Rt） of 2.914 rain. Loading and encapsulation efficiency of quercetin onto PEG-NiGs was 15.04% and 82% respectively and Qu-PEG-NiGs has shown a sustained release of Qu of about 84% after 48 h. Qu and Qu-PEG-NiGs showed dose dependent （1.56-50 μg/mL） anticancer effect against MCF-7 cells with IC50 values of 50 and 6.25 μg/mL respectively which was mediated by oxidative stress due to ROS over-production that induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, capsase -9, -7 activities leading to apoptosis. The present study validates that Qu-PEG-NiGs can be used as a potential anticancer agent for cancer therapy.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of L-cysteine-capped nickel nanoparticles for catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

A simple and efficient microwave-assisted procedure for synthesis of L-cysteine-capped nickel nanoparticles(cyst-Ni NPs) in ethylene glycol solvent was demonstrated. The as-synthesised NPs were characterised by ultraviolet–visible(UV–Vis) spectrophotometer, Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and X-ray diffractometry(XRD). The cyst-Ni NPs are proved to be excellent heterogeneous catalysts for the 100% reduction of 4-nitrophenol(4-NPh) in the presence of reductant(Na BH4)within reaction time of 40 s. In contrast, Raney nickel in similar sample environments shows only 25.5% reduction.The kinetic and energetic behaviours of cyst-Ni NPs were also studied, and the reduction reaction is determined to follow pseudo-first-order kinetics with a rate constant value of 0.115 s-1 and activation energy of 36.1 kJ·mol-1. In addition to its high catalytic competence, cyst-Ni NPs catalyst exhibits excellent recyclability with negligible catalytic poisoning.

Urea electrooxidation-boosted hydrogen production on nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanorod-supported nickel phosphide nanoparticles

Urea electro-oxidation reaction(UEOR)-boosted water electrolysis can supplant the kinetics-restricted oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and provide an energy-saving method of hydrogen generation.However,low UEOR activity and the poisoning issue of the catalyst limit its practical application.Herein,a simple coordination reaction is used to synthesize the dimethylglyoxime-NiⅡcomplex(DMGNiⅡ),which efficiently serves as the initial precursor to synthesize nitrogen-doped carbon nanorodsupported nickel phosphide nanoparticle(Ni_(2)P/N-C)nanocomposites.The density functional theory calculations and electrochemical results reveal that nitrogen doping can weaken the adsorption of hydrogen and the generated CO_(2)resulting in an enhancement of hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and UEOR activity.In addition,N-doping can also promote the generation of Ni,which can further promote the UEOR and HER performance.Concretely,the overpotential for the HER on Ni_(2)P/N-C-2h nanocomposites is only 201 m V at 10 mA cm,and the onset potential of the UEOR on NiP/NC-2h nanocomposites is only 1.34 V.Additionally,the Ni_(2)P/N-Cnanocomposites also show excellent long-term stability due to the introduction of nitrogen-doped carbon material.Consequently,the symmetric Ni_(2)P/N-C-2h||Ni_(2)P/N-C-2h urea electrolyzer requires 1.41 V of electrolysis voltage for urea electrolysis,which can be applied in energy-saving H_(2) production and environment purification.

Stabilization of nickel nanoparticle suspensions with the aid of polymer and surfactant: static bottle tests and dynamic micromodel flow tests

Nickel nanoparticles can work as catalyst for the aquathermolysis reactions between water and heavy oil.A homogeneous and stable suspension is needed to carry the nickel nanoparticles into deeper reservoirs.This study conducts a detailed investigation on how to achieve stabilized nickel nanoparticle suspensions with the use of surfactant and polymer.To stabilize the nickel nanoparticle suspension,three surfactants including sodium dodecyl sulfate,cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and polyoxyalkalene amine derivative(Hypermer) along with xanthan gum polymer were introduced into the nickel nanoparticle suspension.Static stability tests and zeta potential measurements were conducted to determine the polymer/surfactant recipes yielding the most stable nickel nanoparticle suspensions.Dynamic micromodel flow tests were also conducted on three suspensions to reveal how the nickel nanoparticles would travel and distribute in porous media.Test results showed that when the injection was initiated,most nickel nanoparticles were able to pass through the gaps between the sand grains and produced in the outlet of the micromodel;only a small number of the nickel nanoparticles were attached to the grain surface.A higher nickel concentration in the suspension may lead to agglomeration of nickel nanoparticles in porous media,while a lower concentration can mitigate this agglomeration.Moreover,clusters tended to form when the nickel nanoparticle suspension carried an electrical charge opposite to that of the porous media.Follow-up waterflood was initiated after the nanofluid injection.It was found that the waterflood could not flush away the nanoparticles that were remaining in the micromodel.

CNT modified by mesoporous carbon anchored by Ni nanoparticles for CO_(2) electrochemical reduction

The design of novel catalysts for efficient electroreduction of CO_(2) into valueadded chemicals is a promising approach to alleviate the energy crisis.Herein,we successfully modify the carbon nanotube by a layer of mesoporous carbon shell anchored by nickel(Ni)nanoparticles.Ni species effectively enable carbon deposition derived from pyrolysis of surfactant 1-hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide to form a mesoporous carbon shell.At the same time,Ni nanoparticles can be embedded in the mesoporous carbon shell due to the confinement effect.Owing to the dispersive Ni nanoparticles and N-doping active sites of mesoporous carbon,the as-prepared electrocatalyst exhibits exciting catalytic performance for the selective reduction of CO_(2) to carbon monoxide(CO)with a maximum Faradaic efficiency of 98%at a moderate overpotential of−0.81 V(vs.reversible hydrogen electrode)and a high partial current density of 60 mA cm^(−2) in H-cell with an aqueous electrolyte.

Improved light extraction of GaN-based light-emitting diodes with surface-textured indium tin oxide electrodes by nickel nanoparticle mask dry-etching

GaN-based light-emitting diodes （LEDs） with surface-textured indium tin oxide （ITO） as a transparent current spreading layer were fabricated. The ITO surface was textured by inductively coupled plasma （ICP） etching technology using a monolayer of nickel （Ni） nanoparticles as the etching mask. The luminance intensity of ITO surface-textured GaN-based LEDs was enhanced by about 34% compared to that of conventional LED without textured ITO layer. In addition, the fabricated ITO surface-textured GaN-based LEDs would present a quite good performance in electrical characteristics. The results indicate that the scattering of photons emitted in the active layer was greatly enhanced via the textured ITO surface, and the ITO surface-textured technique could have a potential application in improving photoelectric characteristics for manufacturing GaN-based LEDs of higher brightness.

Theoretical calculation and experiment of microwave electromagnetic property of Ni(C) nanocapsules

With the combination of the dielectric loss of the carbon layer with the magnetic loss of the ferromagnetic metal core, carbon-coated nickel （Ni（C）） nanoparticles are expected to be the promising microwave absorbers. Microwave electromag- netic parameters and reflection loss in a frequency range of 2 GHz-18 GHz for paraffin-Ni（C） composites are investigated. The values of relative complex permittivity and permeability, the dielectric and magnetic loss tangent of paraffin-Ni（C） com- posites are measured, respectively, when the weight ratios of Ni（C） nanoparticles are equal to 10 wt%, 40 wt%, 50 wt%, 70 wt%, and 80 wt% in paraffin-Ni（C） composites. The results reveal that Ni（C） nanoparticles exhibit a peak of magnetic loss at about 13 GHz, suggesting that magnetic loss and a natural resonance could be found at that frequency. Based on the measured complex permittivity and permeability, the reflection losses of paraffin-Ni（C） composites with different weight ratios of Ni（C） nanoparticles and coating thickness values are simulated according to the transmission line theory. An ex- cellent microwave absorption is obtained. To be proved by the experimental results, the reflection loss of composite with a coating thickness of 2 mm is measured by the Arch method. The results indicate that the maximum reflection loss reaches -26.73 dB at 12.7 GHz, and below -10 dB, the bandwidth is about 4 GHz. The fact that the measured absorption position is consistent with the calculated results suggests that a good electromagnetic match and a strong microwave absorption can be established in Ni（C） nanoparticles. The excellent Ni（C） microwave absorber is prepared by choosing an optimum layer number and the weight ratio of Ni（C） nanoparticles in paraffin-Ni（C） composites.

Chemoselective Catalytic Hydrogenation of Nitroarenes Using MOF-Derived Graphitic Carbon Layers Encapsulated Ni Catalysts

Replacement of precious noble metal catalysts with cost-effective,non-noble heterogeneous catalysts for chemoselective hydrogenation of nitroarenes holds tremendous promise for the clean synthesis of nitrogen-containing chemicals.Graphitic carbon layers encapsulated Ni catalysts(Ni@CN)are generated by a facile,scalable and straightforward strategy via the pyrolysis of 2,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid coordinated Ni-MOF acting as the precursor.Physicochemical properties of the Ni@CN catalysts have been investigated by X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,elemental analysis and N2 adsorption-desorption analysis.The Ni@CN catalysts were found to be highly efficient in the chemoselective hydrogenation of various nitroarenes with other functional groups towards corresponding anilines under mild reaction conditions(85℃,1.0 MPa of H2 pressure).Based on the results of controlled tests,the catalytic activity can be attributed to the Ni NPs,while the presence of graphitic carbon layers favors the preferential adsorption of the nitro groups.The recyclability and anti-sulfur poisoning capability of Ni@CN were also investigated.

N-doped core-shell mesoporous carbon spheres embedded by Ni nanoparticles for CO_(2)electroreduction

Herein,we successfully prepare highly dispersed and uniform small nano-size nickel nanoparticles embedded on core-shell carbon spheres by confined-deposition method.The mesoporous silica layer containing surfactant coated on the surface of the polymer sphere provides confined space and effectively controls the growth of nickel nanoparticles during pyrolysis.At the same time,the introduction of nickel species has an impact on structure of the obtained carbon spheres,and it can promote the deposition of carbon to realize the adjustment from hollow to core-shell and then to solid spheres.Owing to the uniform distribution of Ni nanoparticles with small size,mesoporous structure,N-doping groups,high specified surface areas,and core-shell structure,the obtained catalyst shows exciting ability for the production of CO by reduction of CO_(2)with a maximum CO Faradaic efficiency of 98%,indicating its promising prospect in electro-reduction of CO_(2).

Ni nanoparticles anchoring on vacuum treated Mo_(2)TiC_(2)T_(x) MXene for enhanced hydrogen evolution activity

MXenes with metal nanoparticles(NPs)immobilized on their surface are greatly desired for high-performance electrocatalysts,while the homogeneous nucleation and growth of NPs are still challenging.Herein,a new method has been proposed for uniformly anchoring Ni NPs on the altered surficial MXene.The pre-vacuum treatment on Mo_(2)TiC_(2)T_(x)(oMX)not only removes the surficial terminal groups but also induces surface oxidation defects.Meanwhile,the nucleation and growth behaviors of Ni NPs on the oMX are altered in the hydrothermal reaction,which results in a grain-size reduction of more than 50%as well as homogeneous coverage.Eventually,the oxidized surface contributes a strong coupling between oMX and Ni NPs via Ni−O binging,which endows the Ni@oMX hybrid with the lowest overpotential and high durability over 75 h in 1 M KOH solution for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).

Au nanoparticles decorated graphene/nickel foam nanocomposite for sensitive detection of hydrogen peroxide

The Au nanoparticles decorated graphene（AuNPs@Gr）/nickel foam（Gr/NiF） nanocomposite（AuNPs@Gr/NiF） was prepared by chemical vapor deposition followed by electrophoretic deposition of AuNPs on Gr/NiF. The morphology, microstructure and sensing performance of the as-prepared AuNPs@Gr/NiF nanocomposite were characterized and measured, respectively by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, ultraviolet visible spectroscopy and chemical workstation. The asprepared AuNPs@Gr/NiF nanocomposite was used as the electrode to construct a chemical sensor for the detection of hydrogen peroxide（H2O2）. The results showed that the AuNPs distributed homogenously and stably on the surface of Gr/NiF. The chemical sensor exhibits a sensitive and selective performance to the detection of H2O2.

Femtoseconds soliton mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser based on nickel oxide nanoparticle saturable absorber

We demonstrate a femtosecond mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser（EDFL） using a nickel oxide（Ni O） as a saturable absorber（SA）. Ni O nanoparticles are hosted into polyethylene oxide film and attached to fiber ferrule in the laser cavity. The Ni O-SA shows a 39% modulation depth with a 0.04 MW∕cm^2 saturation intensity. Our ring laser cavity based on erbium-doped active fiber with managed intracavity dispersion has the ability to generate ultrashort pulses with a full width at half-maximum（FWHM） of around 2.85 nm centered at 1561.8 nm.The pulses repeat at a frequency of 0.96 MHz and duration of 950 fs.