Facile obtaining of Iridium(0), Platinum(0) and Platinum(0)-Iridium(0) alloy nanoparticles and the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

• Published in: Materials chemistry and physics Vol. 201; pp. 289 - 296
• Main Authors: Ramírez-Crescencio, Fermín, Redón, Rocío, Herrera-Gomez, Alberto, Gomez-Sosa, Gustavo, Bravo-Sanchez, Mariela, Fernandez-Osorio, Ana-Leticia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01-11-2017; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: 4-nitrophenol reduction; Acetone; Alloys; Catalysis; Heat treatment; Iridium base alloys; Metallic nanoparticles; Nanoparticles; Nitrophenol; Platinum; Platinum base alloys; PtIr alloy nanoparticles; Solid state physics; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Metallic nanoparticles; PtIr alloy nanoparticles; 4-nitrophenol reduction
• ISSN: 0254-0584; 1879-3312
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2017.08.006

The obtaining of Pt(0), Ir(0), and Pt(0)-Ir(0) nanoparticles (NPs) is accomplished using readily available metallic precursors through their reduction with NaBH4 in solid state. Byproducts are removed by water/acetone washes and the influence of a final heat treatment step whether using air or nitrogen is compared with untreated samples. Characterization by PXRD shows NPs with diameters >10 nm and satisfactory results for unheated samples. Further analysis by XPS, TEM, and catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol provides evidence to confirm the presence of zero-valent NPs and the formation of an alloy in the Pt(0)-Ir(0).
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•Pt(0), Ir(0), and Pt(0)-Ir(0) alloy NPs are readily obtained in a solventless and aerobic process at room temperature.•XRD and TEM analysis demonstrate nanometric size particles with crystalline structure.•XPS studies show energy shifts attributable to the formation of a Pt(0)-Ir(0) alloy.•Specific reactivity on 4-nitrophenol reduction allows determining characteristic features for the synthesized NPs.