Synthesis, characterization and properties of hollow nickel phosphide nanospheres

Nickel phosphide (Ni12P5) hollow nanospheres with a mean diameter of 100 nm and a shell thickness of 15–20 nm have been successfully prepared by a hydrothermal-microemulsion route, using NaH2PO2 as a phosphorus source. XRD, EDS, (HR)TEM, SEM and the SAED pattern were used to characterize the final product. Experiments showed that the as-prepared nickel phosphide hollow nanospheres could selectively catalytically degrade some organic dyes such as methyl red and Safranine T under 254 nm UV light irradiation. At the same time, the nickel phosphide hollow nanospheres showed a stronger ability to promote electron transfer between the glass–carbon electrode and adrenalin than nickel phosphide honeycomb-like particles prepared by a simple hydrothermal route. A possible formation process for nickel phosphide hollow nanospheres was suggested based on the experimental results.