Trimetallic gold silver copper nanorods for carbon dioxide reduction

AuAgCu trimetallic nanorods of varying sizes and elemental ratios were synthesized using a seed-mediated growth procedure. These three metals were of interest due to their respective metal nanorods’ tunable plasmonic and catalytic properties especially in photocatalysis. The synthesis was adapted from a popular gold nanorods synthesis procedure where the modification would be replacing gold salts with copper salts. The formation of the rodlike shape was assisted by the presence of Ag ions with greater amounts of Ag forming higher aspect ratio nanorods, and their longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance peaks (LSPR) were measured with a UV-Vis spectrometer. A standard size of trimetallic rods of widths between 10-14 nm were formed. A miniature size of these rods of widths between 4-8 nm were also created by increasing the volume of seeds added to the growth solution. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to measure the dimensions of the nanorods. LSPR extinction peaks ranged from 630 to 770 nm depending on the size and aspect ratio. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were used to determine the elemental composition of the trimetallic nanorods. EDS was also used for elemental mapping of the nanorods to determine that all three metals form a disordered alloy throughout the entire nanorod.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Chemistry

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Shiau, Amos

Contributors dc:contributor

• Murphy, Catherine J

• Gold
• Silver
• Copper
• Nanorods
• Synthesis

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Amos Shiau

Language dc:language

eng, en

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124455

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/124455