Nanoporous gyroid platinum with high catalytic activity from block copolymer templates via electroless plating

Abstract

Nanoporous platinum (Pt) with a gyroid nanostructure was fabricated using a nanoporous polymer with gyroid nanochannels as a template. The nanoporous polymer template was obtained from the self-assembly of the degradable block copolymer, polystyrene-b-poly(L-lactide) (PS-PLLA), followed by the hydrolysis of the PLLA blocks. Templated electroless plating can be conducted under ambient conditions to create a precisely controlled Pt gyroid nanostructure with high crystallinity in a PS matrix. After removal of the PS matrix, the well-interconnected nanoporous gyroid Pt can be successfully fabricated. Compared with commercially available catalysts, the nanoporous Pt possesses superior macroscopic stability and peak specific activity, benefiting from the well-defined network structure with robust texture and the growth of the low-index crystalline facets of Pt.

Watching mesoporous metal films grow during templated electrodeposition with in situ SAXS

“…Three dimensional structures, such as the gyroid, are particularly advantageous as their 3D morphology provides enhanced diffusion 14 and transport 15 as well as greater mechanical stability 15,16 and catalytic durability. 17,18 Recently, we have demonstrated the production of 3D nanostructured materials using inverse bicontinuous lipid cubic phases as templates. 19 These structures are made up of three known morphologies, Q D II ('double diamond'), Q G II ('gyroid') and Q P II ('primitive'), 20 all of which feature two networks of water channels 2-5 nm in diameter separated by a continuous lipid bilayer.…”

“…Previously, SAXS measurements have been used to monitor the growth of nanoparticles in situ 24,25 and zeolite crystallisation, 26 as well as the formation of mesoporous aluminophosphate, 27 but there have been no reports to our knowledge on the morphology of a nanostructure templated within mesoporous materials being monitored in situ. This is usually not straightforward using SAXS because the template and emergent nanomaterial typically have the same symmetry, 18 while other structural methods such as electron microscopy cannot easily give in situ measurements of the emerging nanostructure growing within a (typically much thicker) template. In the present study, a platinum film growing with the Fd3m symmetry and double the unit cell size of the lipid Q D II phase gives a distinct additional reflection, as we demonstrate here, confirming our original hypothesis that it grows as an asymmetric single diamond structure.…”

Monodipserse Nanostructured Spheres of Block Copolymers and Nanoparticles via Cross-Flow Membrane Emulsification

“…8,10 Recently, ellipsoid-and convex lens-shaped BCP particles were fabricated using a mixture of surfactants that had selective interaction with each block of the BCP domains at the particle surfaces. 8,[11][12][13][14] Due to their well-defined shape and internal nanostructure, these particles potentially will be useful as optical lens, 13 sensors, 15,16 high performance electrodes 17 and catalysts, 18 and dielectric resonators. 19 For implementing the particles into the practical applications mentioned above, it is necessary and essential to be able to produce monodispersed micron-or submicron-sized BCP particles on large production scale because their properties depend decisively on particle size.…”

Aligned platinum nanowire networks from surface-oriented lipid cubic phase templates

“…Mesoporous materials have wide-reaching applications in the field of nanotechnology; the ordered nature of these structures has led to uses within lithography 1 , catalysis [2][3][4] , drug delivery 5 , molecular sieves 6 , batteries 7 , sensors 8 and solar cells 9 . Bicontinuous cubic structures such as the gyroid are particularly advantageous due to their 3D morphology which allows for enhanced diffusion 10 and electron transport 11 in addition to high mechanical stability 11,12 and catalytic durability 3,4,13 .…”