Darwich W., Arquillière P., Helgadottir I., Haumesser P.-H., Santini C.C.
CEA/LETI/MINATEC, FR
Keywords: ionic liquid, metallic nanoparticle, nanoalloy
Metallic nanoparticles (NPs) are needed in a range of applications such as the fabrication of advanced microelectronic, magnetic or optical devices. Hence, substantial effort has been centered on stabilizing transition-metal nanoparticles in wet synthesis processes, using polymers, ligands and organic or inorganic templates. Unlike traditional solvents, ionic liquids (ILs) can be used to generate metallic NPs in the absence of any additive. Ionic liquids are molten salts at room temperature, composed of an organic cation and an inorganic or organic anion. They are thermally and electrochemically stable, non-volatile and electrically conductive. They can dissolve organometallic (OM) precursors, which have been shown to form metallic NPs by decomposition (or reduction) under dihydrogen. This process provides suspensions of metallic NPs, with accurate size control and high stability. However, the exact mechanisms responsible for this stabilization remain unclear. In this work, we investigate the influence of IL structure onto the resulting NPs. We also demonstrate that upon mixing two different OM precursors, bimetallic NPs can be obtained. This behavior is found to be quite general, as similar size reduction has been observed and will be presented for various bimetallic systems.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 1, Nanotechnology 2014: Graphene, CNTs, Particles, Films & Composites
Published: June 15, 2014
Pages: 113 - 116
Industry sector: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
Topic: Nanoparticle Synthesis & Applications
ISBN: 978-1-4822-5826-4