Home
Resources
Publications
Block Copolymer Lithography of Rhodium Nanoparticles for High Temperature Electrocatalysis

Block Copolymer Lithography of Rhodium Nanoparticles for High Temperature Electrocatalysis

David A Boyd, Yong Hao, Changyi Li, David G Goodwin, Sossina M Haile

ACS Nano. 2013 Jun 25;7(6):4919-23.

PMID: 23713545

Abstract:

We present a method for forming ordered rhodium nanostructures on a solid support. The approach makes use of a block copolymer to create and assemble rhodium chloride nanoparticles from solution onto a surface; subsequent plasma and thermal processing are employed to remove the polymer and fully convert the nanostructures to metallic rhodium. Films cast from a solution of the triblock copolymer poly(styrene-b-2-vinyl pyridine-b-ethylene oxide) dissolved in toluene with rhodium(III) chloride hydrate were capable of producing a monolayer of rhodium nanoparticles of uniform size and interparticle spacing. The nanostructures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The electrocatalytic performance of the nanoparticles was investigated with AC impedance spectroscopy. We observed that the addition of the particles to a model solid oxide fuel cell anode provided up to a 14-fold improvement in the anode activity as evidenced by a decrease in the AC impedance resistance. Examination of the anode after electrochemical measurement revealed that the basic morphology and distribution of the particles were preserved.

Chemicals Related in the Paper:

Catalog Number	Product Name	Structure	CAS Number	Price
AP20765984	Rhodium(III) chloride hydrate		20765-98-4	Price

As a specialist in analytical chemical Products, Alfa Chemistry offers consumers a wealth of raw materials and a full range of technologies and services.

QUICK LINKS

HEADQUARTERS

Tel:

Fax:

Email: