title: Ultra-small Palladium Nanoparticle Decorated Carbon Nanotubes: Conductivity and Reactivity.
abstract: Carbon nanotubes decorated with ultra-small metal nanoparticles are of great value in catalysis. We report that individual multiwalled carbon nanotubes decorated with ultra-small palladium nanoparticles can be detected by using the nano-impacts method. The high conductivity and reactivity of each decorated carbon nanotube is directly evidenced; this is achieved through studying the proton-reduction reaction for the underpotential deposition of hydrogen onto the nanoparticles decorated on the carbon nanotube walls. The reductive spikes from current amplification are analyzed to estimate the approximate length of the decorated carbon nanotubes, revealing that the decorated carbon nanotubes are electroactive along its entire length of several micrometers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Physical & Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ (United Kingdom), Fax: (+44) 1865-275-410.
authors.forename: Xiuting
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Physical & Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ (United Kingdom), Fax: (+44) 1865-275-410.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Batchelor-McAuley
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Physical & Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ (United Kingdom), Fax: (+44) 1865-275-410.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tschulik
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Materials Protection and Advanced Materials in Electric Power, Shanghai University of Electric Power, 2103 Pingliang Road, Shanghai 200090 (P. R. China).
authors.forename: Lidong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Physical & Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ (United Kingdom), Fax: (+44) 1865-275-410. richard.compton@chem.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Compton
keywords: conducting materials; hydrogen evolution; nano-impacts; nanotubes; palladium