Preparation of copper coated carbon nanotubes by decomposition of Cu(II)acetylacetonate in hydrogen atmosphere

In this paper, copper coated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was synthesized by decomposition of Cu(II) acetylacetonate (Cu(acac)₂) in hydrogen atmosphere at 300 °C. The thickness of the copper coating was in nanoscale according to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, and Raman spectra indicated that certain intermediate bonds were formed between copper and the template CNTs. The crystalline structure of copper and its growth orientation were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The copper coating on CNTs had a face-centered cubic structure and its growth orientation was parallel to \( (\bar 111) \) planes. The method developed in this paper had the advantages of simplicity in both process control and experiment equipments, so that it might provide a possibility of large-scale production.