Metastable noble metal nanoparticles: synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and catalytic testing

Platinum and palladium are widely used as catalysts in both chemical plants and in the catalytic converters of cars. However, they are rare and expensive, motivating a strong desire to find alternatives. Silver, being cheaper and far more abundant, has been in the focus of catalytic research for some time, but has only found success in a handful of industrial chemical processes. Recently, however, researchers have developed the controlled fabrication of silver nanoparticles with a type of crystalline structure which is vastly different to its typical structure. The physical properties of these new silver nanoparticles are not yet understood, though promise for enhanced catalytic performance can be expected based on recent theoretical work and a comparison to other noble metal nanoparticles with same non-typical crystal structure. The aim of this project is to synthesize, characterize and examine this new silver nanoparticles for potential catalytic applications. The growth techniques used to obtain structure-controlled and pure silver nanoparticles will be optimized and the optical (micro)spectroscopy tool-set – involving Raman, UV-vis and fluorescence – necessary for their clear identification and characterization will be developed. Finally, within the context of potential industrial-level applications, the catalytic activity of the new silver nanoparticles will be evaluated and developed, at both the single-particle and bulk level.