We report the fabrication of Ag–Pd concave nanocrystals by introducing the Pd( ii ) precursor into an aqueous suspension of Ag nanocubes in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) under ambient conditions. Different from the previously reported work that involved the oxidation of Ag and deposition of Pd at random sites on the surface for the generation of Ag–Pd hollow nanocrystals, we demonstrate that the Cl − ions from CTAC can confine the oxidation of Ag atoms to the side faces of a nanocube while the resultant Pd atoms are deposited on the edges in an orthogonal manner. By controlling the amount of the Pd( ii ) precursor involved in a synthesis, we can transform Ag nanocubes into Ag–Pd nanocrystals with different degrees of concaveness for the side faces and controllable Pd contents. We characterize the outermost layer of concave surfaces for the as-obtained Ag–Pd nanocrystals by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) through the use of an isocyanide probe. This facile approach would enable the fabrication of Ag-based concave nanocrystals for applications in plasmonics and catalysis. 
                        more » 
                        « less   
                    
                            
                            Facet-selective deposition of Au and Pt on Ag nanocubes for the fabrication of bifunctional Ag@Au–Pt nanocubes and trimetallic nanoboxes
                        
                    
    
            We report a facile route to the synthesis of Ag@Au–Pt trimetallic nanocubes in which the Ag, Au, and Pt atoms are exposed at the corners, side faces, and edges, respectively. Our success relies on the use of Ag@Au nanocubes, with Ag 2 O patches at the corners and Au on the side faces and edges, as seeds for the site-selective deposition of Pt on the edges only in a reaction system containing ascorbic acid (H 2 Asc) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone). At an initial pH of 3.2, H 2 Asc can dissolve the Ag 2 O patches, exposing the Ag atoms at the corners of a nanocube. Upon the injection of the H 2 PtCl 6 precursor, the Pt atoms derived from the reduction by both H 2 Asc and Ag are preferentially deposited on the edges, leading to the formation of Ag@Au–Pt trimetallic nanocubes. We demonstrate the use of 2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide as a molecular probe to confirm and monitor the deposition of Pt atoms on the edges of nanocubes through surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). We further explore the use of these bifunctional trimetallic nanoparticles with integrated plasmonic and catalytic properties for in situ SERS monitoring the reduction of 4-nitrothiophenol by NaBH 4 . Upon the removal of Ag via H 2 O 2 etching, the Ag@Au–Pt nanocubes evolve into trimetallic nanoboxes with a wall thickness of about 2 nm and well-defined openings at the corners. The trimetallic nanoboxes embrace plasmon resonance peaks in the near-infrared region with potential in biomedical applications. 
        more » 
        « less   
        
    
                            - Award ID(s):
- 1708300
- PAR ID:
- 10063804
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Nanoscale
- Volume:
- 10
- Issue:
- 18
- ISSN:
- 2040-3364
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 8642 to 8649
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
- 
            
- 
            We report the fabrication of Ag–Au cuboctahedral nanoboxes enclosed by {100} and {111} facets, respectively, through the orthogonal deposition of Au on two different facets of Ag cuboctahedra. Specifically, we titrate aqueous HAuCl 4 into an aqueous mixture containing Ag cuboctahedra, ascorbic acid, and NaOH (under basic conditions), in the presence of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), respectively. In the case of PVP, the oxidation of Ag was initiated from the {111} facets of the cuboctahedra through the galvanic replacement reaction between Au( iii ) and Ag, accompanied by the deposition of Au onto the {100} facets. Because the dissolved Ag( i ) ions could react with NaOH to form Ag 2 O on the {111} facets and thus terminate the galvanic reaction, the Au( iii ) ions would be further reduced by the ascorbate monoanion (HAsc − ) to generate Au atoms for their continuing deposition on the {100} facets, converting Ag cuboctahedra to Ag@Au {100} cuboctahedra. Upon the etching of Ag from the core, we obtained Ag–Au cuboctahedral nanoboxes enclosed by {100} facets. In contrast, when CTAC was present, the oxidation of Ag through a galvanic reaction could continuously proceed on {100} facets as the dissolved Ag( i ) ions would react with the excessive amount of Cl − ions derived from CTAC to produce soluble AgCl 2 − ions rather than insoluble Ag 2 O. As a result, the dissolved Ag( i ) and Au( iii ) ions would be co-reduced by HAsc − for the generation of Ag and Au atoms, followed by their co-deposition onto {111} facets for the generation of Ag@Au {111} concave cuboctahedra. After the removal of Ag from the core by etching, we obtained Ag–Au {111} cuboctahedral nanoboxes enclosed by {111} facets. Both samples of cuboctahedral nanoboxes exhibited strong optical absorption in the infrared region. Interestingly, the cuboctahedral nanoboxes enclosed by {111} facets showed significantly enhanced catalytic activity toward the reduction of 4-nitrophenol by NaBH 4 relative to their counterparts encased by {100} facets.more » « less
- 
            null (Ed.)Silver nanocubes have found use in an array of applications but their performance has been plagued by the shape instability arising from the oxidation and dissolution of Ag atoms from the edges and corners. Here we demonstrate that the shape of Ag nanocubes can be well preserved by covering their edges and corners with a corrosion-resistant metal such as Ir. In a typical process, we titrate a Na 3 IrCl 6 solution in ethylene glycol (EG) into a suspension of Ag nanocubes in an EG solution in the presence of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) held at 110 °C. The Ir atoms derived from the reduction of Na 3 IrCl 6 by EG and Ag are deposited onto the edges and then corners for the generation of Ag–Ir core-frame nanocubes. Remarkably, our results indicate that a small amount of Ir atoms on the edges and corners is adequate to prevent the Ag nanocubes from transforming into nanospheres when heated in a PVP/EG solution up to 110 °C. We further demonstrate that these Ag–Ir nanocubes embrace plasmonic properties comparable to those of the original Ag nanocubes, making them immediately useful in a variety of applications. This strategy for stabilizing the shape of Ag nanocubes should be extendible to Ag nanocrystals with other shapes or nanocrystals comprised of other metals.more » « less
- 
            Abstract Noble‐metal nanoboxes offer an attractive form of nanomaterials for catalytic applications owing to their open structure and highly efficient use of atoms. Herein, we report the facile synthesis of Ag−Ru core−shell nanocubes and then Ru nanoboxes with a hexagonal close‐packed(hcp) structure, as well as evaluation of their catalytic activity toward a model hydrogenation reaction. By adding a solution of Ru(acac)3in ethylene glycol (EG) dropwise to a suspension of silver nanocubes in EG at 170 °C, Ru atoms are generated and deposited onto the entire surface of a nanocube. As the volume of the RuIIIprecursor is increased, Ru atoms are also produced through a galvanic replacement reaction, generating Ag−Ru nanocubes with a hollow interior. The released Ag+ions are then reduced by EG and deposited back onto the nanocubes. By selectively etching away the remaining Ag with aqueous HNO3, the as‐obtained Ag−Ru nanocubes are transformed into Ru nanoboxes, whose walls are characterized by anhcpstructure and an ultrathin thickness of a few nanometers. Finally, we evaluated the catalytic properties of the Ru nanoboxes with two different wall thicknesses by using a model hydrogenation reaction; both samples showed excellent performance.more » « less
- 
            Multilayer electrodeposition of Pt onto 1–2 nm Au nanoparticles using a hydride-termination approachHere we report on hydride-terminated (HT) electrodeposition of Pt multilayers onto ∼1.6 nm Au nanoparticles (NPs). The results build on our earlier findings regarding electrodeposition of a single monolayer of Pt onto Au NPs and reports relating to HT Pt electrodeposition onto bulk Au. In the latter case, it was found that electrodeposition of Pt from a solution containing PtCl 4 2− can be limited to a single monolayer of Pt atoms if it is immediately followed by adsorption of a monolayer of H atoms. The H-atom capping layer prevents deposition of Pt multilayers. In the present report we are interested in comparing the structure of NPs after multiple HT Pt electrodeposition cycles to the bulk analog. The results indicate that a greater number of HT Pt cycles are required to electrodeposit both a single Pt monolayer and Pt multilayers onto these Au NPs compared to bulk Au. Additionally, detailed structural analysis shows that there are fundamental differences in the structures of the AuPt materials depending on whether they are prepared on Au NPs or bulk Au. The resulting structures have a profound impact on formic acid oxidation electrocatalysis.more » « less
 An official website of the United States government
An official website of the United States government 
				
			 
					 
					
 
                                    