Synthesis of Platinum Nanowire Networks Using a Soft Template

• Published in: Nano letters 2007-12, Vol.7 (12), p.3650-3655
• Main Authors: Song, Yujiang, Garcia, Robert M, Dorin, Rachel M, Wang, Haorong, Qiu, Yan, Coker, Eric N, Steen, William A, Miller, James E, Shelnutt, John A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorption; Borohydrides; Chemical synthesis methods; Chloroform; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electrochemistry; Exact sciences and technology; Low-dimensional structures (superlattices, quantum well structures, multilayers): structure, and nonelectronic properties; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Microscopy, Electron; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanowires - chemistry; Physics; Platinum - chemistry; Pressure; Solid surfaces and solid-solid interfaces; Surface Properties; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Water
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl0719123

Platinum nanowire networks have been synthesized by chemical reduction of a platinum complex using sodium borohydride in the presence of a soft template formed by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide in a two-phase water-chloroform system. The interconnected polycrystalline nanowires possess the highest surface area (53 ± 1 m2/g) and electroactive surface area (32.4 ± 3.6 m2/g) reported for unsupported platinum nanomaterials; the high surface area results from the small average diameter of the nanowires (2.2 nm) and the 2−10 nm pores determined by nitrogen adsorption measurements. Synthetic control over the network was achieved simply by varying the stirring rate and reagent concentrations, in some cases leading to other types of nanostructures including wormlike platinum nanoparticles. Similarly, substitution of a palladium complex for platinum gives palladium nanowire networks. A mechanism of formation of the metal nanowire networks is proposed based on confined metal growth within a soft template consisting of a network of swollen inverse wormlike micelles.