Template Synthesis of Nanostructured Metals using Cellulose Nanocrystal

Book · Sun Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 2009

OSTI ID:981584

Shin, Yongsoon; Exarhos, Gregory J

In this chapter, cellulose nanocrystal (CNXL) has been used as a template and reducing agent for synthesizing nanoscale inorganic solids such as metal oxide, metal carbide, and nanocrystalline metals. CNXL selectively nucleates metal or metal oxide phases in ordered arrangements commensurate with the attendant structure and chemistry of the fiber. The reaction has an analogy to the well-known Tollen’s reagent where addition of an aldehyde or glucose analyte to a glass vessel containing a soluble ammoniacal silver complex causes reduction of the silver to form a mirror on the vessel surface. For the synthesis of TiO2, CNXL produced mesoporous anatase with 5-10 nm particle sizes and 170-200 m2/g surface area after air-calcination. Silica-infiltrated CNXL produced very homogeneous SiC nanowires with 70 nm in diameter at 1400 oC in Ar. For the syntheses of metal nanoparticles, upon addition of aqueous metal ion containing solutions (Cu(II), Ni(II), Ag(I), Au(III), Pd(II), Pt(IV), or even selenite, Se(IV)) into the CNXL suspension, reduction to the metal occurs under hydrothermal conditions to form ordered metal nanostructures. Ni (II) and Cu(II) ions required high temperature (300-400 oC) to be reduced due to their low reduction potentials. However, metal ions including Ag(I), Au(III), Pt(IV), Pd(II), Se(IV) needed lower temperatures (160-200 oC) to be reduced. Enhanced catalytic activity on these templated surfaces has been demonstrated for a methylene-blue dye photo-induced decomposition (Se nanocrystals resident on crystalline cellulose).

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US), Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 981584
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-60127; 13500; KC0201050
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
CELLULOSE
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory
METALS
METHYLENE BLUE
PARTICLE SIZE
REDUCING AGENTS
REDUCTION
SURFACE AREA
SYNTHESIS
SiC
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
anatase
cellulose nanocrystal
hydrothermal
metal nanoparticle
reduction