Citrate-assisted synthesis of prickly nickel microwires and their surface modification with silver

A new type of prickly nickel microwires assembled by thornlike nanocrystals was fabricated through a simple chemical reduction route with the assistance of citrate. Thus-prepared nickel wires were subsequently morphology-retained modified with a thin silver shell via transmetallation. Compared with the uncoated sample, the Ni(core)-Ag(shell) wires exhibited much-enhanced oxidation resistance, slightly changed magnetic properties and stark different catalysis for the creation of carbon particles in pyrolyzing acetone.