Decoration of carbon nanohorns with palladium and platinum nanoparticles

Carbon nanohorns (CNHs) have been decorated with palladium and platinum nanoparticles, which are prepared in-situ, with the aid of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), by the self-regulated reduction of palladium acetate and chloroplatinic acid, respectively. The latter acts as a reducing agent for the metal ions, while at the same time, aids the solubilisation of CNHs. The soluble in polar media nanoPd-CNH and nanoPt-CNH hybrid materials have been characterised and morphologically evaluated by complementary microscopy, thermal and analytical techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, thermogravimetric analysis, UV-VIS-NIR and Raman spectroscopy. Finally, the nanoPd-CNH and nanoPt-CNH hybrid materials have been tested in catalysis toward the formation of carbon-carbon bond in Heck, Suzuki and Stille reactions.