Nanoparticle Networks Composed of Three-Dimensional (3D) Platinum Particles

Building Ordered Arrays out of Nanosized Metal Particles Offers Ways of Creating New Nanostructured Materials

Assembling nanosized metal particles from their basic components, such as colloids or molecules, into ordered arrays is believed to offer ways of creating new nanostructured materials with properties different to the bulk material. For instance, adding a few hundred atoms or less to electronic or optical devices, allows a single particle to show quantum size effects. A number of nanocrystal superlattices and colloidal networks have already been produced, but the ‘bottom-up’ preparation of nanoparticles to give three-dimensional (3D) structures remains a challenge.  

Building Nanostructured Metal/Organic Networks via a Cross-Linking Process

Now a team in Germany has produced nanostructured metal/organic networks by cross-linking aluminium-organic-stabilised platinum nanoparticles with bifunctional organic spacer molecules. Platinum particles were formed by reacting platinum (II) acetylacetonate with Al(CH³)³ at 60°C in argon, forming an air-sensitive platinum colloid with a platinum/aluminium ratio of ~ 1:2.

Protonolytic Chemical Reactions and Cross-Linking Colloidal Particles with Bifunctional Alcohols

The platinum is thought to be surrounded by a highly reactive protective shell, which allows protonolytic chemical reactions to occur. The colloidal particles can be cross-linked by bifunctional alcohols. Incorporating spacer molecules increases the interparticle distance. This method may thus form the basis for preparing highly ordered networks.

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Source: Platinum Metals Review, July 2002, Volume 46, Number 3, page 105.

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