Shape-Controlled Synthesis of Nickel Wires Using an External Magnetic Field

One-dimensional (1D) nickel wires were synthesized by a magnetic field-assisted hydrothermal procedure. The 1D nickel wires had a spiky surface and were prepared using NiCl2·6H2O and N2H4·H2O. The morphology of the wires was controlled by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a coating agent. The coercive force of the samples was stronger than that of the bulk nickel because of the one dimension. The formation mechanism was discussed. The external magnetic field played an important role in forming the 1D structure, and the adsorption action of CTAB was critical to the different morphology of the surface. The catalytic performance was studied using the hydrogenation of methyl isobutyl ketone as the probe reaction. This indicated that the catalytic activity is related to the nanostructure of the surface and the dimensionality of the materials.