Coating geometry of Ag, Ti, Co, Ni, and Al nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes

We present a morphology study on laser ablation produced metal nanoparticles (NPs) deposited on carbon nanotube (CNT) substrates. We analyzed the coating geometry and topography by processing AFM and SEM images. Our results show that Ag NPs aggregate together to form large agglomerates, that Ti NPs are well dispersed on the substrate surface forming a quasi-continuous layer, and that Co, Ni, and Al NPs coat quite uniformly CNTs and locally grow in a layer like fashion. We interpret the coating and clustering geometries in terms of cohesion, surface, and interfacial energies and diffusion barriers. Fractal analysis of composites morphology suggests the formation of structures with a smoother topography relative to pure carbon nanotubes for reactive metal nanoparticles.