Raman, EELS and XPS studies of maghemite decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes

•Carbon nanotubes were decorated with maghemite using cyclopentadieny iron (II) dicarbonyl dimmer.•Raman, EELS and XPS studies confirm the attachment of maghemite.•The maghemite particles are covered with amorphous carbon materials and form a core–shell structure.

Iron oxide particles with the diameter being 5–10 nm were attached onto the sidewalls of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by the thermal decomposition of cyclopentadieny iron (II) dicarbonyl dimmer. The red shift of G-mode from 1579 cm−1 to 1571 cm−1 in the Raman profile of the decorated MWCNTs is indicative of the attachment of nanoparticles. Electron energy loss spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses reveals that the attached nanoparticles are composed of a maghemite phase. Transmission electron microscopy suggests the maghemite particles are covered with amorphous carbon materials and form a core–shell structure.

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