Incorporation of Metal Phosphide Domains into Colloidal Hybrid Nanoparticles

Abstract

Colloidal hybrid nanoparticles have generated considerable attention in the inorganic nanomaterials community. The combination of different materials within a single nanoparticle can lead to synergistic properties that can enable new properties, new applications, and the discovery of new phenomena. As such, methodologies for the synthesis of hybrid nanoparticles that integrate metal−metal, metal chalcogenide, metal oxide, and oxide−chalcogenide domains have been extensively reported in the literature. However, colloidal hybrid nanoparticles containing metal phosphide domains are rare, despite being attractive systems for their potentially unique catalytic, photocatalytic, and optoelectronic properties. In this Forum Article, we report a study of the synthesis of colloidal hybrid nanoparticles that couple the metal phosphides Ni 2 P and Co x P y with Au, Ag, PbS, and CdS using heterogeneous seeded-growth reactions. We also investigate the transformation of Au−Ni heterodimers to Au−Ni 2 P, where phosphidation of preformed metal−metal hybrid nanoparticles offers an alternative route to metal phosphide systems. We also study sequential cation-exchange reactions to target specific metal phosphide hybrids, i.e., the transformation of Ni 2 P−PbS into Ni 2 P−Ag 2 S and then Ni 2 P−CdS. Throughout all of these pathways, the accompanying discussion emphasizes the synthetic rationale, as well as the challenges in synthesis and characterization that are unique to these systems. In particular, the observation of oxide shells that surround the phosphide domains has implications for the potential photocatalytic applications of these hybrid nanoparticles.

Influence of Band Alignment on Electronic Relaxation in Plasmonic Metal–Semiconductor Hybrid Nanoparticles

“…Plasmon-supporting noble metal nanostructures have emerged as functional transducers for many light-harvesting applications. , Some specific examples include plasmonic photocatalysis and ultrafast optical switches, both of which utilize interfacial energy transfer of hot electrons between the metal and semiconductor or molecular states of adsorbed surface molecules. − Indeed, several examples utilizing carrier transfer from plasmonic excitation in metals and excitonic sensitizers have been reported. − Continued advances in synthesis and characterization have enabled the generation of hybrid nanoparticles that provide chemoselective growth of multicomponent materials with synergistic properties that can be utilized for the development and control of functional nanoparticle transducers. − As an example, decreasing the size of gold nanoparticles from 5.5 ± 1.1 to 1.6 ± 0.5 nm increases the quantum efficiency of electron transfer from ∼1 to ∼18% in Au–CdS nanostructures . This enhancement is attributed to both increased surface damping, which accelerates hot electron generation, and increased electronic coupling at the Au–CdS interface when the gold diameter is decreased.…”

Morphology Control of Au–Ni Hybrid Nanoparticles: Exploring Heterostructures and Optical Tuning

“…8 Combining structurally different and functionally diverse building blocks of individual NPs, hybrid NPs can retain the properties derived from each component material and acquire enhanced or unique properties through the synergetic effect of multiple components. 9,10 Hybrid NPs are composed of combinations of metals, metal oxides, metal chalcogenides, and metal halides, exploiting the plasmonic, 11,12 magnetic, 13,14 catalytic, 15 photocatalytic, 16,17 and semiconducting 18 properties of each component for specific applications. 8,19 For instance, interactions between metals and metal chalcogenides have been utilized in charge transfer for photovoltaic applications.…”

“…The capability to control nanomaterials has opened new horizons for technological innovations, but it remains a vital challenge to develop methods for precisely tailoring chemical and physical properties. − Integrating multiple components within a nanoparticle (NP), which is referred to as a hybrid NP, has attracted substantial attention because it is a simple method to control material properties at the nanoscale . Combining structurally different and functionally diverse building blocks of individual NPs, hybrid NPs can retain the properties derived from each component material and acquire enhanced or unique properties through the synergetic effect of multiple components. , …”

Design of Eu(TTA)3phen-incorporated SiO2-coated transition metal oxide nanoparticles for efficient luminescence and magnetic performance

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6] Through the integration of individual NPs with different functionalities, the properties of the constituent materials can be retained and their properties can be improved, modified, or extended through their synergistic interaction. [7][8][9][10] Accordingly, several colloidal hybrid NP systems have been established by combining various properties such as optical-electrocatalytic, plasmonic-magnetic, magnetic-optical, and luminescence-magnetic features. For example, CdS-Pt has been widely examined as an opticalcatalytic system.…”