Size control of Au nanoparticles from the scalable and solvent-free matrix assembly cluster source

Spadaro, Maria Chiara; Cao, Lu; Terry, William D.; Balog, Richard; Yin, Feng; Palmer, Richard E.

doi:10.1007/s11051-020-04869-9

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Scaled-up cluster beam sources are now available [16,17], which are capable of depositing fractions of a gram of clusters per hour onto a support to create functional materials such as catalysts. To take full advantage of these new instruments, such as the Matrix Assembly Cluster Source [18,19], we must learn to present to the directed beam large surface areas of the support material. A successful innovation has been to agitate or stir a powder while it is coated (from above) by the cluster beam.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fabrication of electrodes by deposition of lead clusters from the Matrix Assembly Cluster Source (MACS) into porous carbon paper for electrocatalysis

et al. 2023

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The scaling up of the intensity of beams of atomic clusters (nanoparticle beams) creates a new route to the fabrication of functional nanostructured materials. A challenge is to present, to the directed beam, high surface areas of the desired support material, for decoration by the clusters at local sub-monolayer densities. Then, the clusters and their properties can be preserved. Here we employ the Matrix Assembly Cluster Source (MACS) to demonstrate and characterise the deposition of lead clusters, with size of order 2 nm, into planar sheets of porous carbon paper, a material employed in electrode fabrication. We find that clusters are deposited to a depth comparable with the pore size of the carbon, ~ 50 μm, giving rise to a metal loading of ~ 0.05 mg cm−2 of carbon paper. The functionality of the nanocomposite film so created is demonstrated by its use as an electrode for the electrochemical generation of oxidising species suitable for water purification.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fabrication of electrodes by deposition of lead clusters from the Matrix Assembly Cluster Source (MACS) into porous carbon paper for electrocatalysis

et al. 2023

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“…MACS clusters have been studied in several areas such as catalysis 125 and previous structural analysis 126 . Clusters from the MACS can also be made to have ligands, allowing for enhanced stability and resistance to chemical degradation 127 .…”

Section: Macsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Production and Applications of Nanoparticles Grown or Deposited on Surfaces

McCormack

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This thesis focuses on the development of two methods of nanoparticle synthesis, the applications of the nanoparticles and the characterisation, classification, and behaviour of the nanoparticle structures. Building on the previously developed Matrix Assembly Cluster Source (MACS) technology, gold nanoparticles were fabricated using a newly created MiniMACS system, altered by using butane as a matrix gas which deposits using readily available liquid nitrogen (at a temperature of 77 K). Direct sputtering of atoms from a target material was also developed in this system, displaying the versatility of the system by the ease of switching between the two methods. This Sputtered Atom Source (SAS) technique was calibrated and subsequently used to create nanoparticles by growth of gold clusters from atoms on a carbon surface then were classified according to the cluster structure. After analysis of over 600 gold clusters identified in aberration corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) images, it was found that clusters smaller than 300 atoms tend to have a glassy/amorphous structure, while above this size decahedral and FCC (Face – Centred Cubic) motifs compete for the dominant structure, with FCC being slightly more favourable. Icosahedral was observed very rarely when carrying out this analysis. Dynamic analysis was also undertaken by studying a video of 500 frames of thesame two clusters showing a coalescence event. Before aggregation, the larger cluster analysed structurally consisted of less than the 309 atoms that represent an “ideal” magic number cluster and crosses this threshold after the event has taken place. The dominant structure went from a prevailing decahedral shape before coalescence to an amorphous/glassy configuration, with the second most commonly occurring structure being FCC. The decahedral shape appeared much less frequently post aggregation. The chamber housing the MiniMACS was adapted to include two probes to measure resistance in-situ while depositing atoms using the SAS method. Fabrication of gold contacts on a suitable silicon substrate was successfully achieved, allowing for the observation of a resistance profile during creation of a percolating network of gold clusters. From here, exposure to the atom beam could be correctly terminated at a point just below the percolation threshold, allowing for the creation of atomic filament growth and potential with potential to image these in the TEM. Calibration of a larger scale MACS system was undertaken to create silver nanoparticles deposited on both copper and silver foils for use in catalysis. Lead nanoparticles were also deposited into carbon fibre paper to fabricate an electrode for use in water purification. This feat demonstrated that the MACS method is approaching rates needed for research and development in industry of the production of fuel cells, creating clusters at a rate of around 0.05 mg/cm2/hour. This fabrication also demonstrated the depth the clusters can penetrate a porous structure, with strong signal found in the top 50 μm, and then a diminished signal at around 150 – 200 μm,numbers which correlate to the carbon paper’s pore size. This project has gone beyond that of the work carried out in the literature, whereby this reports on the first instance in which clusters created with the MACS method, with clusters been fabricated at a higher temperature than before, and as butane with a matrix gas. Surface grown clusters were also discovered using readily available instruments that the MACS uses, allowing for quick switching between the two techniques. The non-mass selected nature of the clusters allowed the observation of single atoms, allowing investigations into the number of atoms surface grown clusters contain, classified by their structure. Coating carbon fibre paper with lead clusters accomplished both a proof-of-concept reactive oxygen species for water purification, as well as demonstrating a high cluster yield. Finally, instrumentation development, beam calibration and exposure recipes have lead way to large cluster coverage on the scale of percolating thing films for use of imaging filaments in a memristor device. This work has laid the foundation for further work to be developed.

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Scaling up of cluster beam deposition technology for catalysis application

Sanzone

Yin

Sun

2021

Front. Chem. Sci. Eng.

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Many research works have demonstrated that the combination of atomically precise cluster deposition and theoretical calculations is able to address fundamental aspects of size-effects, cluster-support interactions, and reaction mechanisms of cluster materials. Although the wet chemistry method has been widely used to synthesize nanoparticles, the gas-phase synthesis and size-selected strategy was the only method to prepare supported metal clusters with precise numbers of atoms for a long time. However, the low throughput of the physical synthesis method has severely constrained its wider adoption for catalysis applications. In this review, we introduce the latest progress on three types of cluster source which have the most promising potential for scale-up, including sputtering gas aggregation source, pulsed microplasma cluster source, and matrix assembly cluster source. While the sputtering gas aggregation source is leading ahead with a production rate of ∼20 mg·h−1, the pulsed microplasma source has the smallest physical dimensions which makes it possible to compact multiple such devices into a small volume for multiplied production rate. The matrix assembly source has the shortest development history, but already show an impressive deposition rate of ~10 mg·h−1. At the end of the review, the possible routes for further throughput scale-up are envisaged.

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Size control of Au nanoparticles from the scalable and solvent-free matrix assembly cluster source

Cited by 3 publications

References 34 publications

Fabrication of electrodes by deposition of lead clusters from the Matrix Assembly Cluster Source (MACS) into porous carbon paper for electrocatalysis

Fabrication of electrodes by deposition of lead clusters from the Matrix Assembly Cluster Source (MACS) into porous carbon paper for electrocatalysis

Production and Applications of Nanoparticles Grown or Deposited on Surfaces

Scaling up of cluster beam deposition technology for catalysis application

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