Optimizing Au-Core Ru-Shell Nanoparticles With Pd And Pt Additions While Tailoring Trimetallic Nanoparticles For Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity

Within recent years the study of nanoparticle science has revolved around the creation and functionality of individual particles with their spatial orientation,chemical structure,and atomic design at the nanoscale level.The current focus of most nanoparticle-based research is to design and construct nanoparticles with controllable size,shape,and tunable influences.As research in their field continues,nanoparticle structures that have been made have only increased in complexity.It is only nature that the knowledge of these particles will continue to be more indepth and complex from the wide variety of methods and uses.Characterization through spectrochemical techniques is used to determine the optical results of dynamic and mechanic of particles at a molecular level.Techniques such as Raman spectroscopy,Gas chromatography(CG),Ultra-violet visual spectra(UV-vis),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),Cyclic voltammetry(CV),and FTIR along with several other have been used in classifying the effects and characterization of nanoparticles while some more than others.Catalysts being a relatively useful concept within the world of chemistry has been widely researched at a molecular level.Molecules consisting of multiple metals have been shown to increase in not only activity but also catalytic reactivity in the form of trimetallic and bimetallic core-shell nanoparticles.The variations of these core-shell particles can vary greatly because of the ability to tune and reorganize the metals through the colloid nanoparticles.In most cases with real world usage of catalysts,particles with enhancement properties for reactivity,activity,and selectivity are highly favored.Trimetallic nanoparticles are thought to have a higher probability of customizable enhancement properties than bimetallic nanoparticles because of an additional active metal.Throughout recent history there is a lack in research of trimetallic nanoparticles leaving a gap in possible research opportunities.For our research,we have designed and characterized core-shell coating and cluster nanoparticles with a variety of different metals through enhancement from formic acid solution electrooxidation activity.The study can be designated into a directed focus of the following:1.Trimetallic nanoparticles consist of a core-shell structure,thus needing a seed-mediated formula for growth to manipulate Au particles in the formation of a desired shape with the sizes of 16nm to 55nm in mind.Characterization of these nanoparticles were conducted through scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and UV-vis spectroscopy.These particles can be easily prepared on a silicon slab for SEM and a predetermined concentration within a 1-cm cell for UV-vis.The general shape and size within a field of view between 10 um and 200 nm can be observed under the basic conditions of SEM.Absorbance levels between 200 to 1000 nm in wavelength were read under detection.2.Nanoparticles consisting of a gold core were made under reasonably possible methods with the addition of a ruthenium coating on the outer surface,followed by either a platinum cluster or palladium coating.The combination of these metals within the shell are small in size,being only a few nanoscale layers around the relatively large gold core in comparison but have unusually high catalytic properties and activity from formic acid solution electrooxidation.A standard gold core is within the range of 16nm to 55 nm while the ruthenium layer is only 1.7nm to 7.0 nm followed by a platinum or palladium layer with 0.035 nm to 20 nm in length.Layers of ruthenium,platinum and palladium above 1.7 nm have reduced catalytic enhancement and activity due to the synergetic components of the nanoparticles interfering with each other in the form of the shell and two layers.3.The synergetic interaction of trimetallic compounds can be investigated by cyclic voltammetry.The nature and structure of the metal surface determines the ability of the particles to adsorb nanoparticles.An electrochemical study of these particles within a formic acid solution involving oxidation and CO absorption has revealed that this combination of trimetallic core-shell particles have higher than usual catalytic reactivity in the field of electrochemistry.With further research,these components and structures can lead to a developed branch of catalysts for further intensified and focused research.