Oriented growth of magnetite along the carbon nanotubes via covalently bonded method in a simple solvothermal system

A new type of CNTs/magnetite hybrid material was prepared via covalently bonded method in a simple solvothermal system using FeCl3 as iron source, ethylene glycol as the reducing agent, and 4-aminophenoxyphthalonitrile-grafted CNTs as templates. The magnetite nanoparticles, with the diameters of 70–80 nm, were self-assembled along the CNTs. The FTIR, UV–vis and DSC revealed that a stable covalent bond between nitriles group and iron ion promoted the oriented growth of magnetite nanoparticles along the CNTs, resulting in good dispersibility and solution storage stability. The magnetic properties measurements indicated that a higher saturated magnetization (70.7 emu g−1) existed in the CNTs/magnetite hybrid material, which further enhanced the electromagnetic properties. The magnetic loss was caused mainly by natural resonance, which is in good agreement with the Kittel equation results. The novel electromagnetic hybrid material is believed to have potential applications in the microwave absorbing performances.

► Novel CNTs/magnetite hybrid materials were prepared via covalently bonded method.
► Stable interaction between nitriles and iron ion promoted the oriented growth of magnetite.
► The hybrid material exhibited higher magnetism and electromagnetic properties