While many different capping agents have been used to mediate the synthesis of platinum nanoparticles from polymers to biomolecules, the effect the chemical structure of the ligands play on nanoparticle nucleation and growth as well as their catalytic activity is not yet fully understood. Understanding how chemical moieties affect platinum nanoparticle synthesis and activity is a critical step for rationally designing ligands to produce platinum nanoparticles with desired sizes, shapes, and surface functionality. Because monomeric functional groups do not yield well-defined metal nanoparticles, we recently explored the use of a macromolecular scaffold that shows no binding to platinum, specifically polyethylene glycol (PEG). By attaching unique groups to the end of linear and branched PEG, we could maintain the overall platinum binding of a larger molecule while still isolating the effects of the individual functional group on the morphology of the platinum particles and their catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction.

Effects of various functional groups on the growth of platinum nanoparticles and catalytic activity toward ORR

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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