Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Commons^™

Symbiotic Plasmonic Nanomaterials: Synthesis And Properties, Abhinav Malasi

Doctoral Dissertations

Metal particles of the dimensions of the order of 1 to 100's of nanometers show unique properties that are not clearly evident in their bulk state. These nanoparticles are highly reactive and sensitive to the changes in the vicinity of the particle surface and hence find applications in the field of sensing of chemical and biological agents, catalysis, energy harvesting, data storage and many more. By synthesizing bimetallic nanoparticles, a single nanoparticle can show multifunctional characteristics. The focus of this thesis is to detail the synthesis and understand the properties of bimetallic nanomaterial systems that show interesting optical, chemical, and …

Spectroscopic Investigation Of Palladium-Copper Bimetallic Systems For Pem Fuel Cell Catalysts, Timo Hofmann

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

One of the main barriers to commercialization of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells systems is cost, which is largely due to the need of platinum (Pt)-containing catalysts. In this thesis we investigate bimetallic systems consisting of a base metal (copper) and a noble metal (palladium) that, as an alloy on the nanoscale, mimic the electronic properties that make Pt desirable as a catalyst.

We present a detailed investigation of the electronic structure of carbon-supported Pd/Cu nanoparticle catalysts, model bilayer thin film systems, alloys, and various metal reference samples. We have investigated the valence band structure of the catalysts using a …