New Insights into the Early Stages of Nanoparticle Electrodeposition
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- 作者：Jon Ustarroz ; Xiaoxing Ke ; Annick Hubin ; Sara Bals ; Herman Terryn
- 刊名：The Journal of Physical Chemistry C
- 出版年：2012
- 出版时间：January 26, 2012
- 年：2012
- 卷：116
- 期：3
- 页码：2322-2329
- 全文大小：532K
- 年卷期：v.116,no.3(January 26, 2012)
- ISSN：1932-7455
文摘
Electrodeposition is an increasingly important method to synthesize supported nanoparticles, yet the early stages of electrochemical nanoparticle formation are not perfectly understood. In this paper, the early stages of silver nanoparticle electrodeposition on carbon substrates have been studied by aberration-corrected TEM, using carbon-coated TEM grids as electrochemical electrodes. In this manner we have access to as-deposited nanoparticle size distribution and structural characterization at the atomic scale combined with electrochemical measurements, which represents a breakthrough in a full understanding of the nanoparticle electrodeposition mechanisms. Whereas classical models, based upon characterization at the nanoscale, assume that electrochemical growth is only driven by direct attachment, the results reported hereafter indicate that early nanoparticle growth is mostly driven by nanocluster surface movement and aggregation. Hence, we conclude that electrochemical nulceation and growth models should be revised and that an electrochemical aggregative growth mechanism should be considered in the early stages of nanoparticle electrodeposition.