Noble-Metal Nanorod Cryoaerogels with Electrocatalytically Active Surface Sites

authored by

Dániel Zámbó, Pascal Rusch, Franziska Lübkemann, Nadja C. Bigall

Abstract

Noble-metal-based electrocatalysts usually contain small nanoparticle building blocks to ensure a high specific surface area as the scene for the surface processes. Here, we show that relatively large noble-metal nanorods are also promising candidates to build up functional macrostructures with prominent electrocatalytic activity. After optimizing and upscaling the syntheses of gold nanorods and gold bipyramid-templated silver nanorods, cryoaerogels are fabricated on a conductive substrate via flash freezing and subsequent freeze drying. The versatile cryoaerogelation technique allows the formation of macrostructures with dendritic, open-pore structure facilitating the increase of the accessible nanorod surfaces. It is demonstrated via electrochemical oxidation and stripping test experiments that noble-metal surface sites are electrochemically active in redox reactions. Furthermore, gold nanorod cryoaerogels offer a platform for redox sensing, ethanol oxidation reaction, as well as glucose sensing. Compared to their simply drop-cast and dried counterparts, the noble-metal nanorod cryoaerogels offer enhanced activity due to the open porosity of the fabricated nanostructure while maintaining structural stability.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry
Section Functional nanostructures from assembled colloidal nanoparticles
PhoenixD: Photonics, Optics, and Engineering - Innovation Across Disciplines

Type

Article

Journal

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

Volume

13

Pages

57774–57785

No. of pages

12

ISSN

1944-8244

Publication date

08.12.2021

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Materials Science

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c16424 (Access: Open)