Room-Temperature Synthesis of Thioether-Stabilized Ruthenium Nanocubes and Their Optical Properties

Abstract

Controlling the nucleation and growth processes for nanoparticle synthesis allows the development of well-defined structures that offer unique chemical and physical properties. Here, we report a wet chemical reduction method for synthesizing ruthenium nanocubes (Ru NCs) that display plasmonic properties at room temperature (RT). The growth of the particles to form nanostructured cubes was established by varying the carbon chain length of the thioether stabilizing ligands and the reaction time to produce stable and controlled growth. In this study, we found that the longer the thioether chain length, the less isotropic the shape of the particles. Short chain lengths of thioethers (ethyl sulfide and butyl sulfide) produced spherical nanoparticles, whereas longer chain lengths (hexyl sulfide and octyl sulfide) produced cubic nanoparticles. In addition, parameters such as the ligand to precursor ratio also played an important role in the homogeneity of the nanocubes. The Ru NCs were characterized by UV–visible absorbance spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which supported a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure. Moreover, to demonstrate catalytic efficiency, we studied their ability to reduce benzaldehyde to benzyl alcohol, and the Ru NCs demonstrated an overall 78% efficiency at room temperature.

Virtual Special Issue Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Bettye Washington Greene

“…Danischewski et al’s work furthers the field’s understanding of silver nanodisc color change for the purpose of optical imaging applications. Adams et al report on a novel method for synthesizing ruthenium nanocubes that display plasmonic properties at room temperature. Robertson and Minh report on novel gold nanoparticle-embedded peptoid nanosheets as a platform for plasmonic-based sensing applications.…”

“…Dr. Phillips’ reflection provides a unique perspective on the lasting influence and legacy of Dr. Greene. Following this personal reflection, we present invited research articles submitted to this VSI to honor Dr. Greene and further recognize the importance of her work in advancing the discipline. − We then include selected recent articles published in Langmuir that showcase advances within research areas related to those that Dr. Greene devoted her scientific career to advancing. − This collection of articles is divided into four sections that reflect the breadth of topics influenced by Dr. Greene’s accomplishments (Table ).…”