Delineating the pathways for the site-directed synthesis of individual nanoparticles on surfaces

作者：Liu Guoliang; Eichelsdoerfer Daniel J; Rasin Boris; Zhou Yu; Brown Keith A; Liao Xing; Mirkin Chad A^*

来源：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2013, 110(3): 887-891.

DOI：10.1073/pnas.1220689110

Although nanoparticles with exquisite properties have been synthesized for a variety of applications, their incorporation into functional devices is challenging owing to the difficulty in positioning them at specified sites on surfaces. In contrast with the conventional synthesis-then-assembly paradigm, scanning probe block copolymer lithography can pattern precursor materials embedded in a polymer matrix and synthesize desired nanoparticles on site, offering great promise for incorporating nanoparticles into devices. This technique, however, is extremely limited from a materials standpoint. To develop a materials-general method for synthesizing nanoparticles on surfaces for broader applications, a mechanistic understanding of polymer-mediated nanoparticle formation is crucial. Here, we design a four-step synthetic process that enables independent study of the two most critical steps for synthesizing single nanoparticles on surfaces: phase separation of precursors and particle formation. Using this process, we elucidate the importance of the polymer matrix in the diffusion of metal precursors to form a single nanoparticle and the three pathways that the precursors undergo to form nanoparticles. Based on this mechanistic understanding, the synthetic process is generalized to create metal (Au, Ag, Pt, and Pd), metal oxide (Fe2O3, Co2O3, NiO, and CuO), and alloy (AuAg) nanoparticles. This mechanistic understanding and resulting process represent a major advance in scanning probe lithography as a tool to generate patterns of tailored nanoparticles for integration with solid-state devices.

• 出版日期2013-1-15
• 单位西北大学