A facile one-step method to produce Ni/graphene nanocomposites and their application to the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate

A facile one-step method was used to prepare Ni/graphene nanocomposites under solvothermal conditions. During this one-step process graphene oxide was reduced to graphene and Ni nanoparticles were simultaneously anchored on graphene sheets as spacers to keep the neighbouring sheets separated under the conditions generated in the solvothermal system. The size and content of the Ni nanoparticles distributed on the graphene sheets can be easily controlled by altering the starting concentration of NiCl₂·6H₂O. The catalytic performance of the as-synthesized Ni/graphene nanocomposites on the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) was investigated by thermal gravimetric and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The results show that Ni/graphene nanocomposites exhibit high catalytic activity. The peak temperature of the high-temperature decomposition of AP decreased by 97.3 °C and at the same time the peak of the low-temperature decomposition disappeared. When 1% Ni/graphene nanocomposites are used, the catalytic performance is the best. As a result, the Ni/graphene nanocomposites could be a promising candidate material for an AP-based propellant.