Nanoparticles are used as electrocatalysts due to their large surface area-to-volume ratios. Most studies of nanoparticle electrocatalysis are performed on collections of particles on a support, which represent ensemble average behavior influenced by spatial distribution of the nanoparticles. Therefore, recent emphasis has been placed on analyzing electrocatalytic behavior of single particles. The focus here is to develop carbon ultramicro- and nanoelectrode platforms for studying the electrocatalytic properties of single metal nanoparticles. Ultramicroelectrodes were prepared using chemical vapor deposition of carbon in pulled quartz capillaries. Electrode diameters were determined by cyclic voltammetry. Electrodes were modified using a soft nitriding technique to enable immobilization of platinum nanoparticles through reduction of H2PtCl6 using NaBH4. Cyclic voltammetry was used to determine the presence of platinum particles through characteristic peaks associated with Pt oxide formation and reduction. Ultimately, these electrodes could be used to analyze single uncapped nanoparticles to understand the electrochemical properties of single nanoparticles.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ETSU/oai:dc.etsu.edu:honors-1637 |
| Date | 01 May 2019 |
| Creators | Millsaps, Caitlin |
| Publisher | Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University |
| Source Sets | East Tennessee State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Undergraduate Honors Theses |
| Rights | Copyright by the authors., http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ |
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