Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Ordered arrays of low-dimensional Au and Pd : synthesis and in situ observations

Abbondanza, Giuseppe LU (2022)
Abstract
Electrodeposition of metals in templates of nano-porous anodic aluminum oxide (NP-AAO) is a versatile way of fabricating ordered arrays of metal nanowires. Thanks to the self-arranged long-range hexagonal order of the pores, electrodeposition in NP-AAO is an easily scalable bottom-up synthesis route and an attractive alternative to traditional top-down fabrication methods such as electron beam lithography.
Since NP-AAO is a non-conductive medium and since it is potentially soluble in non-neutral pH solutions, the electrodeposition of metals in NP-AAO represents a challenge. These aspects are discussed in this thesis, aiming to establish a reproducible and reliable protocol for the electrodeposition of Au and Pd.
By using ex situ... (More)
Electrodeposition of metals in templates of nano-porous anodic aluminum oxide (NP-AAO) is a versatile way of fabricating ordered arrays of metal nanowires. Thanks to the self-arranged long-range hexagonal order of the pores, electrodeposition in NP-AAO is an easily scalable bottom-up synthesis route and an attractive alternative to traditional top-down fabrication methods such as electron beam lithography.
Since NP-AAO is a non-conductive medium and since it is potentially soluble in non-neutral pH solutions, the electrodeposition of metals in NP-AAO represents a challenge. These aspects are discussed in this thesis, aiming to establish a reproducible and reliable protocol for the electrodeposition of Au and Pd.
By using ex situ x-ray diffraction, it has been found that the growth of Au and Pd in the confined environment of nano-pores leads (i) to a deformation of the crystalline structure, as the lattice constant is smaller along the nanowire radius and larger along the nanowire axis, compared to the bulk lattice constant, and (ii) to a crystallite size anisotropy: it is limited by the pore radius in the horizontal direction and it is larger in the direction of growth.
The electrochemical growth of Au and Pd nanowires was followed in situ by x-ray scattering methods. In the case of Au nanowires, the time-resolved measurements revealed that the anisotropy of the lattice parameter progresses as a function of time, which suggests that the strain state of the nanomaterials can be artificially selected. This findings might be beneficial in the strain-engineering of Au nanoelectrode arrays for electrocatalysis. In the case of Pd nanowires, the measurements revealed strain variations, as well as phase transitions attributed to the existence of alpha- and beta-phase Pd hydride in the NP-AAO template, due to the exposure of Pd to hydrogen evolved at the working electrode. These findings suggest that Pd in NP-AAO has potential applications in the design of hydrogen storage devices. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Professor Innocenti, Massimo, University of Florence
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
nanowires (NWs), nanorods, nanoparticles, Au, Pd, Al, Al2O3, anodization, nano-porous anodic aluminum oxide, powder diffraction, x-ray diffraction, x-ray scattering, SAXS, WAXS, grazing-incidence, two-dimensional surface optical reflectance
pages
224 pages
publisher
Lund University, Faculty of Science
defense location
Rydbergssalen
defense date
2023-01-27 09:15:00
ISBN
978-91-8039-479-6
978-91-8039-480-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bf59c2fe-9f58-4577-ac94-5108df31eb13
date added to LUP
2022-12-06 15:09:23
date last changed
2023-09-06 10:12:40
@phdthesis{bf59c2fe-9f58-4577-ac94-5108df31eb13,
  abstract     = {{Electrodeposition of metals in templates of nano-porous anodic aluminum oxide (NP-AAO) is a versatile way of fabricating ordered arrays of metal nanowires. Thanks to the self-arranged long-range hexagonal order of the pores, electrodeposition in NP-AAO is an easily scalable bottom-up synthesis route and an attractive alternative to traditional top-down fabrication methods such as electron beam lithography.<br/>Since NP-AAO is a non-conductive medium and since it is potentially soluble in non-neutral pH solutions, the electrodeposition of metals in NP-AAO represents a challenge. These aspects are discussed in this thesis, aiming to establish a reproducible and reliable protocol for the electrodeposition of Au and Pd.<br/>By using ex situ x-ray diffraction, it has been found that the growth of Au and Pd in the confined environment of nano-pores leads (i) to a deformation of the crystalline structure, as the lattice constant is smaller along the nanowire radius and larger along the nanowire axis, compared to the bulk lattice constant, and (ii) to a crystallite size anisotropy: it is limited by the pore radius in the horizontal direction and it is larger in the direction of growth.<br/>The electrochemical growth of Au and Pd nanowires was followed in situ by x-ray scattering methods. In the case of Au nanowires, the time-resolved measurements revealed that the anisotropy of the lattice parameter progresses as a function of time, which suggests that the strain state of the nanomaterials can be artificially selected. This findings might be beneficial in the strain-engineering of Au nanoelectrode arrays for electrocatalysis. In the case of Pd nanowires, the measurements revealed strain variations, as well as phase transitions attributed to the existence of alpha- and beta-phase Pd hydride in the NP-AAO template, due to the exposure of Pd to hydrogen evolved at the working electrode. These findings suggest that Pd in NP-AAO has potential applications in the design of hydrogen storage devices.}},
  author       = {{Abbondanza, Giuseppe}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-8039-479-6}},
  keywords     = {{nanowires (NWs); nanorods; nanoparticles; Au; Pd; Al; Al2O3; anodization; nano-porous anodic aluminum oxide; powder diffraction; x-ray diffraction; x-ray scattering; SAXS; WAXS; grazing-incidence; two-dimensional surface optical reflectance}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Lund University, Faculty of Science}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{Ordered arrays of low-dimensional Au and Pd : synthesis and in situ observations}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/131345959/Thesis_Giuseppe_Abbondanza_WEB.pdf}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}