Formation of Ni/C based polyacrylonitrile nanocomposites under IR-radiation ☆

The work deals with obtaining nickel metal-carbon nanocomposites based on IR-pyrolyzed polyacrylonitrile and nickel chloride hexahydrate and a study of the structural characteristics of the synthesized material. Nanocomposites have been prepared under IR-based precursor pyrolysis of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and nickel chloride hexahydrate (NiCl2·6H2O). Pyrolysis has been carried out in the 150–700°C temperature range. The grown nanocomposites are a two-phase system of the carbon matrix formed during carbonization of PAN and distributed in the nickel nanoparticles (nickel oxide). The average size of the nanoparticles in the nanocomposite was 15–25nm. The effect of IR precursor pyrolysis temperature on the size of the nickel nanoparticles has been studied.