Synthesis of nickel nanoparticles with fcc and hcp crystal lattices

Abstract

Nickel nanoparticles were prepared using nickel nitrate, vegetable oil and sucrose. Ethanol was used as a solvent as the heat of reaction showed the destabilization of nickel particles when water is present in the synthesis mixture. Nickel with fcc phase were obtained from reduction with sucrose followed by stabilization using vegetable oil. Nickel with hcp structure was obtained by treating with a mixture of oleylamine and methanol. The fcc and hcp crystal structures were characterized by XRD. The calcination of nickel nanoparticles at 450 °C demonstrated the sintering of nickel nanoparticles and increasing of crystallite size and crystallinity. The scanning electron micrograph showed a particle size in the range of 5 – 58 nm for the fcc-Ni nanoparticles calcined at 450 oC for 10 min.