Electrochemistry of conductive polymers 39. Contacts between conducting polymers and noble metal nanoparticles studied by current-sensing atomic force microscopy

Electrical properties of contacts formed between conducting polymers and noble metal nanoparticles have been examined using current-sensing atomic force microscopy (CS-AFM). Contacts formed between electrochemically prepared pi-conjugated polymer films such as polypyrrole (PPy), poly(3-methylthiophene) (P3MeT), as well as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and noble metal nanoparticles including platinum (Pt), gold (Au), and silver (Ag) have been examined. The Pt nanoparticles were electrochemically deposited on a pre-coated PPy film surface by reducing a platinum precursor (PtCl62-) at a constant potential. Both current and scanning electron microscopic images of the film showed the presence of Pt islands. The Au and Ag nanoparticles were dispersed on the P3MeT and PEDOT film surfaces simply by dipping the polymer films into colloid solutions containing Au or Ag particles for specified periods (5 to approximately 10 min). The deposition of Au or Ag particles resulted from either their physical adsorption or chemical bonding between particles and the polymer surface depending on the polymer. When compared with PPy, P3MeT and PEDOT showed a stronger binding to Au or Ag nanoparticles when dipped in their colloidal solutions for the same period. This indicates that Au and Ag particles are predominantly linked with the sulfur atoms via chemical bonding. Of the two, PEDOT was more conductive at the sites where the particles are connected to the polymer. It appears that PEDOT has better aligned sulfur atoms on the surface and is strongly bonded to Au and Ag nanoparticles due to their strong affinity to gold and silver. The current-voltage curves obtained at the metal islands demonstrate that the contacts between these metal islands and polymers are ohmic.     

Chitosan aerogel containing silver nanoparticles: From metal-chitosan powder to porous material

The work presents a synthetic approach that combines methods of metal vapor synthesis (MVS), gelation and supercritical drying in order to obtain chitosan aerogels containing silver nanoparticles. On the first stage, two types of silver organosols were prepared via the eco-sustainable MVS method. Then the prepared silver organosols were used to modify chitosan powders for producing metal-chitosan powder composites. Gelation of the powder composites was performed in oxalic acid at elevated temperatures. Supercritical drying of the gels was implemented in order to preserve the formed porous structures. Thus, the chitosan powders modified with MVS-produced silver nanoparticles were used to prepare metal-chitosan aerogels. Characterization of the structure and the morphology of both powder and aerogel silver-chitosan composites was conducted by means of low temperature nitrogen adsorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering, SEM and TEM. Changes in the structure and morphology of silver nanoparticles between powder and aerogel composites were analyzed.     

金核银壳纳米粒子薄膜的制备及SERS活性研究

采用柠檬酸化学还原法制备金溶胶, 通过自组装技术在石英片表面制备金纳米粒子薄膜, 在银增强剂混合溶液中反应获得金核银壳纳米粒子薄膜. 用紫外-可见吸收光谱仪和原子力显微镜(AFM)研究了不同条件下制备的金核银壳纳米粒子薄膜的光谱特性和表面形貌, 并以结晶紫为探针分子测量了金核银壳纳米粒子薄膜的表面增强拉曼光谱(SERS). 结果表明, 金纳米粒子薄膜的分布、银增强剂反应时间的长短对金核银壳纳米粒子薄膜的形成均有重要影响. 制备过程中, 可以通过控制反应条件获得一定粒径的、具有良好表面增强拉曼散射活性的金核银壳纳米粒子薄膜.     

Pt@Au/Al2O3核壳纳米粒子的制备和表征及其在催化氧化甲苯中的应用

Customizing core-shell nanostructures is considered to be an efficient approach to improve the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles. Various physiochemical and green methods have been developed for the synthesis of core-shell structures. In this study, a novel liquid-phase hydrogen reduction method was employed to form core-shell Pt@Au nanoparticles with intimate contact between the Pt and Au particles, without the use of any protective or structure-directing agents. The Pt@Au core-shell nanoparticles were prepared by depositing Au metal onto the Pt core; AuCl⁴⁻ was reduced to Au(0) by H₂ in the presence of Pt nanoparticles. The obtained Pt@Au core-shell structured nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), high-resolution TEM, fast Fourier transform, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and H₂-temperature programmed reduction (H₂-TPR) analyses. The EDX mapping results for the nanoparticles, as obtained from their scanning transmission electron microscopy images in the high-angle annular dark-field mode, revealed a Pt core with Au particles grown on its surface. Fourier transform measurements were carried out on the high-resolution structure to characterize the Pt@Au nanoparticles. The lattice plane at the center of the nanoparticles corresponded to Pt, while the edge of the particles corresponded to Au. With an increase in the Au content, the intensity of the peak corresponding to Pt in the FTIR spectrum decreased slowly, indicating that the Pt nanoparticles were surrounded by Au nanoparticles, and thus confirming the core-shell structure of the nanoparticles. The XRD results showed that the peak corresponding to Pt shifted gradually toward the Au peak with an increase in the Au content, indicating that the Au particles grew on the Pt seeds; this trend was consistent with the FTIR results. Hence, it can be stated that the Pt@Au core-shell structure was successfully prepared using the liquid-phase hydrogen reduction method. The catalytic activity of the nanoparticles for the oxidation of toluene was evaluated using a fixed-bed reactor under atmospheric pressure. The XPS and H₂-TPR results showed that the Pt₁@Au₁/Al₂O₃ catalyst had the best toluene oxidation activity owing to its lowest reduction temperature, lowest Au 4d & 4f and Pt 4d & 4f binding energies, and highest Au⁰/Au^δ+ and Pt⁰/Pt²⁺ proportions. The Pt₁@Au₂Al₂O₃ catalyst showed high stability under dry and humid conditions. The good catalytic performance and high selectivity of Pt@Au/Al₂O₃ for toluene oxidation could be attributed to the high concentration of adsorbed oxygen species, good low-temperature reducibility, and strong interaction.     

Ubiquitous strategy for probing ATR surface-enhanced infrared absorption at platinum group metal-electrolyte interfaces

A versatile two-step wet process to fabricate Pt, Pd, Rh, and Ru nanoparticle films (simplified as nanofilms hereafter) for in situ attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) study of electrochemical interfaces is presented, which incorporates an initial chemical deposition of a gold nanofilm on the basal plane of a silicon prism with the subsequent electrodepostion of desired platinum group metal overlayers. Galvanostatic electrodeposition of Pt, Rh, and Pd from phosphate or perchloric acid electrolytes, or potentiostatic electrodeposition of Ru from a sulfuric acid electrolyte, yields sufficiently "pinhole-free" overlayers as evidenced by electrochemical and spectroscopic characterizations. The Pt group metal nanofilms thus obtained exhibit strongly enhanced IR absorption. In contrast to the corresponding metal films electrochemically deposited directly on glassy carbon and bulk metal electrodes, the observed enhanced absorption for the probe molecule CO exhibits normal unipolar band shapes. Scanning tunneling microscopic (STM) images reveal that fine nanoparticles of Pt group metals are deposited around wavy and stepped bunches of Au nanoparticles of relatively large sizes. This ubiquitous strategy is expected to open a wide avenue for extending ATR surface-enhanced IR absorption spectroscopy to explore molecular adsorption and reactions on technologically important transition metals, as exemplified by successful real-time spectroscopic and electrochemical monitoring of the oxidation of CO at Pd and that of methanol at Pt nanofilm electrodes. The spectral features of free water molecules coadsorbed with CO on Pt, Pd, Rh, and Ru are also discussed.     

Remarks on the reactions of a tetracarboxylic porphyrin with gold and silver ions: A spectrophotometric,TEM and SEM study

The coproporphyrin-I (CPI) behaves as a reducing agent for silver and gold metal ions and as stabilizing agent for the formed colloidal metallic nanoparticles. The peculiarity of silver and gold nanoparticles obtained in the reactions of monomeric form of CPI with their metal ions has been studied. The optical properties of the colloidal forms of these metals have been investigated by UV–Vis spectrophotometry, and their morphology by TEM and SEM measurements. The structures and the size distributions of Ag and Au particles have been characterized and determined by computerized TEM images.     

Electrochemical properties of monolayer-protected Au and Pd nanoparticles extracted from within dendrimer templates

The electrochemical properties of Au and Pd monolayer-protected clusters (MPCs), prepared by dendrimer-templating and subsequent extraction, are described. Differential pulse voltammetry was used to estimate the size of the MPCs, and the results were compared to microscopic data and calculated values. Purification of the extracted Au and Pd nanoparticles was not required to obtain well-defined differential pulse voltammetry peaks arising from quantized double-layer charging. The calculated sizes of the nanoparticles were essentially identical to those determined from the electrochemical data. The capacitance of the particles was independent of the composition of core metal. Transmission electron microscopy data overestimated the size of the smallest Pd nanoparticles because of inadequate point-to-point resolution.     

Cinchonidine adsorption on gold and gold-containing bimetallic platinum metal surfaces: an attenuated total reflection infrared and density functional theory study

Adsorption of cinchonidine on monometallic Au and bimetallic Pt-Au and Pd-Au thin model films prepared by physical vapor deposition has been investigated with attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy. On Au the alkaloid forms an adsorbed layer that shows higher stability against desorption than the corresponding adsorption on Pt. In this adsorption layer the intermolecular interactions dominate over metal-adsorbate interactions as indicated by the absence of the spectroscopic features attributed to strongly flat adsorbed species. This behavior is further supported by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations indicating that flat and tilted orientations of the quinoline ring have comparable adsorption energy on Au but lower (7-10 kcal/mol) compared to adsorption on Pt (ca. 40 kcal/mol). As a consequence, the creation of a metal surface with isolated chiral sites is prevented by formation of an adsorbed structure formed by intermolecularly bound cinchonidine molecules on Au. While the binding to Pt is due to the formation of sigma-bonds to surface atoms, such aggregates are bound to Au mainly by van der Waals forces. Given this different nature of bonding of cinchonidine to Au and Pt, addition of Au to Pt and Pd films could be used to probe the changes of fractional coverage of the different adsorbed species of cinchonidine on the platinum metals. It is demonstrated that the lowering of the domain size of the platinum group metal by Au can simulate the effect of particle size on the distribution of the surface conformations of the alkaloid on a metal surface.     

Preparation and characterization of acrylic polymer–nanogold nanocomposites from 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane encapsulated gold nanoparticles

In this study, acrylic polymer–nanogold nanocomposites and their cast films were prepared from an acrylic copolymer and 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) stabilized gold nanoparticles by a sol–gel reaction. The acrylic copolymer was synthesized from methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (MSMA). The Si–OMe groups of MPS on the surface of gold nanoparticles (MPS–Au) provided the further reaction with the same groups of MSMA, hence the covalent bonds between polymers and MPS–Au nanoparticles were formed. FE-SEM images show MPS–Au nanoparticles are dispersed well in the prepared nanocomposites, and no large aggregation is occurred. TGA results indicate that the decomposed temperatures (T_d) of low Au-content (0.1 wt.%) nanocomposites are higher than these of the acrylic copolymer and high Au-content (1.0 wt.%) nanocomposites. The temperature of maximum decomposed rate (T_p) of each prepared nanocomposite is higher than that of the acrylic copolymer. The hardness of the cast film increases with increasing the Au content. The results show the improved thermal stability and application potentials of the prepared acrylic polymer–nanogold nanocomposites.     

Coating noble metal nanocrystals (Ag, Au, Pd, and Pt) on polystyrene spheres via ultrasound irradiation

The method of ultrasound irradiation is used for anchoring metallic nanocrystals (Ag, Au, Pd, and Pt) onto the surface of polystyrene spheres. In former studies, almost all the sonochemically prepared, coated metallic nanomaterials were formed as amorphous nanoparticles (Pol, V. G.; et al. Langmuir 2002, 18, 3352; Pol, V. G.; et al. Chem. Mater. 2003, 15, 1111; Zhong, Z. Y.; et al. Chem. Mater. 1999, 11 (9), 2350; Pol, V. G.; et al. Chem. Mater. 2003, 15, 1378), which were coated on various substrates (silica spheres, carbon spherules, titania, and alumina). On the other hand, the noble metal nanoparticles deposited on polystyrene spheres via ultrasound irradiation yielded nanocrystalline Ag, Au, Pd, and Pt particles on the surface of polystyrene as as-synthesized materials. The sonochemical mechanism is proposed based on chemical interactions between the particles.     

Electrodeposited noble metal particles in polyelectrolyte multilayer matrix as electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction studied using SECM

Taking the advantage of the stability and penetrability of polyelectrolyte films formed by layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition, noble metal particles of Pd and Pt were fabricated in a preformed polyeletrolyte multilayer film by galvanic deposition. The metal deposition occurred as metal particles and they were tested for their properties as electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to characterize the morphology of the particle films. The noble metal particles were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) with respect to oxygen reduction. The results show that the electrocatalytic properties of the Pd particle film can be adjusted by the electrodeposition time. The hydrogen peroxide formed as an intermediate during electroreduction of dioxygen was conveniently measured in the SECM using the substrate-generation/tip-collection mode. The relevance of the main reduction pathways could be extracted from fitting the current transients to an analytical model.     

SnO2负载Au和M-Au(M=Pt,Pd)催化剂及其低温催化氧化CO性能

以SnO₂为载体, 采用沉积沉淀法(DP)、共沉淀法(CP)和浸渍法(IM)制备了金负载Au/SnO₂催化剂, 同时采用沉积沉淀法制备了M-Au/SnO₂(M=Pd, Pt)双金属负载催化剂. 通过X射线衍射(XRD)、BET比表面积测定、透射电镜(TEM)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)等技术对样品进行表征, 并测定其对CO的催化活性. 结果表明: 与CP法和IM 法相比, DP法制备的Au/SnO₂-DP 催化剂, Au 颗粒(<5 nm)较小, 分布均匀; Au/SnO₂-DP 中的Au 是以金属态Au0存在, 而Au/SnO₂-CP 和Au/SnO₂-IM 中, 金以Au⁰和Au³⁺的混合价态存在, 在Au/SnO₂-DP和M-Au/SnO₂中的Au、Pt、Pd和SnO₂之间存在相互作用; Au/SnO₂-DP 催化性能明显优于Au/SnO₂-CP 和Au/SnO₂-IM. Au与Pt 和Pd的双金属复合催化剂催化活性明显提高. 不同方法制备Au/SnO₂催化活性的差别主要是由于Au颗粒大小和Au氧化态的不同而产生. 而M-Au/SnO₂活性提高, 可能是由于Au与Pt 和Pd之间的相互作用.     

PEDOT-supported Pd nanoparticles as a catalyst for hydrazine oxidation

Composite poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT)/palladium (Pd) films were obtained by chemical deposition of dispersed palladium nanoparticles into PEDOT conducting polymer matrix. The amounts of palladium particles incorporated into PEDOT films were estimated by electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance measurements. It was shown that palladium loading depends on the time a PEDOT film is exposed in the solution, containing Pd(II)-ions, on the concentration of Pd(II) ions and the film thickness. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data have confirmed the presence of metallic palladium in the polymer. The morphology of pristine and composite films as well as the size of Pd nanoparticles and their distribution were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). From SEM images, it was found that Pd particles decorated PEDOT globular structures as quasi-spherical particles, and their mean size was dependent on synthesis conditions. The nanoparticles were non-uniformly dispersed on the polymer surface. The comparison of TEM images of composite PEDOT/Pd films obtained for different times of metal loading was made. The remarkable effect of loading time on the size of particles has been established: the mean size of dominating palladium particles was close to 6–10 nm for 30 s of metal deposition, and it was getting larger with the increase of deposition time (close to 15–30 nm for 120 s). It is most likely that with prolongation of synthesis time, the deposition of palladium predominantly proceeds on the already deposited palladium clusters, resulting in the extension growth of their size. Catalytic properties of PEDOT/Pd composite films were studied in respect to hydrazine oxidation by cyclic voltammetry and voltammetry on rotating disk electrode. The obtained data allow to conclude that the process of hydrazine oxidation on PEDOT/Pd composites takes place predominantly on palladium particles, located on the surface or in the near-surface layers of the polymer. The diffusion nature of the limiting current of hydrazine oxidation on composite PEDOT/Pd film in phosphate buffer solution рН = 6.86 was confirmed, and hydrazine diffusion coefficient was calculated. The increase of the limiting currents of hydrazine oxidation with the increase of Pd deposition time was observed, resulting from the increase of the active surface area of palladium particles, acting as microelectrodes. The electroanalytical applications of these nanocomposite materials for the determination of hydrazine were demonstrated.     

Hyperbranched polyglycidol assisted green synthetic protocols for the preparation of multifunctional metal nanoparticles

Biocompatible hyperbranched polyglycidol (HBP) has been demonstrated to be an effective reducing and stabilizing agent for the synthesis of highly water-soluble monometallic (Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, and Ru) and bimetallic (Au/Pt, Au/Pd, and Au/Ru) nanoparticles (NPs), which provides a general and green protocol to fabricate metal NPs. The HBP-assisted reduction of metal ions follows an analogous polyol process. The reduction reaction rate increases sharply by increasing the temperature and the molecular weight of HBP. The size of NPs is controllable simply by changing the concentration of the metal precursor. High molecular weight HBP is favorable for the formation of NPs with uniform size and improved stability. By utilizing hydroxyl groups in the HBP-passivation layer of Au NPs, TiO(2)/Au, GeO(2)/Au, and SiO(2)/Au nanohybrids are also fabricated via sol-gel processes, which sets a typical example for the creation of versatile metal NPs/inorganic oxide hybrids based on the as-prepared multifunctional NPs.     

Morphology study of gold-chitosan nanocomposites

Gold nanoparticles were prepared in the presence of chitosan via reduction of HAuCl4 with sodium borohydride. The gold-chitosan nanocomposite was formed by adsorbing chitosan molecules onto the gold nanoparticle surfaces. The resulting gold nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy. Morphology of gold-chitosan nanocomposite films was investigated by polarized optical microscopy. The morphology of chitosan crystal cast from the prepared nanocomposite was much different from that cast from chitosan solution due to the possible nucleation of gold nanoparticles. A branched-like structure or a cross-linked needle-like structure could be formed in nanocomposite films with different casting volumes.     

Fabrication of metal nanoparticles–carbon nanotubes composite materials in solution

A new solution-phase method for synthesis of metal nanoparticles–carbon nanotubes (CNTs) assemblies is described. By injection of CNTs solution into the diethyl ether/aqueous solution of metal salt biphasic mixture, metal (Ag, Au, Pd, and Pt) nanoparticles–decorated CNTs composite materials can be prepared. Metal nanoparticles have spontaneously and selectively formed on the sidewalls of CNTs through redox reaction between CNTs and metal ions. This phenomenon has been probed by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and Raman spectroscopy.     

用原位液体池透射电镜技术表征金属钯在球形金纳米颗粒表面的异质沉积

采用原位液体池透射电镜技术,在扫描透射电子显微镜(STEM)中,实时观察溶液中金属钯(Pd)在金(Au)纳米颗粒及团簇周围的异质沉积过程。通过对该动态过程的定量分析,结合高分辨透射电子显微镜(HRTEM)对样品进行形貌与结构表征,研究异质沉积的机理。结果表明,电子束辐照下Au-Pd异质结构纳米颗粒的形成存在两种主要机制:第一种机制中,Pd在Au纳米颗粒表面的生长是以岛状沉积开始,随着时间推移,出现Pd岛的结构弛豫和沿着Au颗粒表面的迁移扩展。伴随Pd的不断沉积和弛豫,Au-Pd复合颗粒的外接圆直径表现为震荡生长,而Au表面的Pd覆盖率显示出随时间单调增加的趋势。第二种机制中,由于Pd单体在Au纳米颗粒上的沉积位点有限,使部分被还原的Pd在Au颗粒以外区域进行同质形核与生长形成Pd团簇,之后再与Au颗粒上的Pd岛合并。进一步的结果分析显示,Au颗粒外围的Pd沉积体为多晶结构,由随机取向的Pd纳米晶粒构成。     

细菌吸附还原贵金属离子特性及表征

提炼、富集贵金属是细菌固定金属的重要用途．部分细菌还可还原金属离子,如海藻、枯草杆菌等均有较强的吸附、还原AU3+等金属离子的能力[1~3]．本文研究了从生态环境中筛选的几种细菌及其吸附、还原Pd2+、Pt4+、Au3+、Ag+、Rh3+等贵金属离子的特性,以期了解细菌固定金属的作用机制,提高细菌的还原能力,并将所得结果用于回收贵金属和制备高分散度贵金属催化剂．1实验部分D01细菌从生态环境中筛选、培养,并按常规微生物法制备大量菌体．所用仪器为SCR20BC高速冷冻离心机,BairdPS－4电感耦合等离子原子发射光谱仪,740SXFTIR光…     

Sol-Gel Preparation of Coating Films Containing Noble Metal Colloids

Coating films containing Au, Ag, Pt and Pd metal colloids have been prepared by sol-gel processing. It is shown that for oxide films the temperature where the metal particles are precipitated by heating in air depends on metal species: 200°C for Au, 600°C for Ag, 800°C for Pt and 1000°C for Pd. The use of reducing atmosphere lowers the temperature for formation of noble metal colloids. This procedure can be used for direct formation of metal colloids from metal ions in the film as well as reduction of oxide particles to metal particles in the film. For an organic-inorganic matrix, noble metal colloids are precipitated by thermal reduction or photo-reduction. Thermal reduction occurs as a result of reduction by decomposing organic matter. Photo-reduction occurs as a result of UV irradiation.     

Decoration of Few-Layer Graphene-Like MoS2 and MoSe2 by Noble Metal Nanoparticles

Graphene has been decorated by nanoparticles of noble metals and other inorganic materials. In the present study, we have decorated graphene-like MoS₂ and MoSe₂, containing 3–5 layers, with Au, Ag and Pt nanoparticles. We have characterized these nanocomposites using X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and absorption spectroscopy. The studies reveal that the surfaces of the layered inorganic materials get uniformly coated with the noble metal nanoparticles. There are indications that the interaction of the metal particles with these layered materials is rather weak.