Inorganic Chemistry Commons^™

Deposition Of Platinum Particles On Surface-Modified Carbon Ultramicroelectrodes, Caitlin Millsaps

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Nanoparticles are used as electrocatalysts due to their large surface area-to-volume ratios. Most studies of nanoparticle electrocatalysis are performed on collections of particles on a support, which represent ensemble average behavior influenced by spatial distribution of the nanoparticles. Therefore, recent emphasis has been placed on analyzing electrocatalytic behavior of single particles. The focus here is to develop carbon ultramicro- and nanoelectrode platforms for studying the electrocatalytic properties of single metal nanoparticles. Ultramicroelectrodes were prepared using chemical vapor deposition of carbon in pulled quartz capillaries. Electrode diameters were determined by cyclic voltammetry. Electrodes were modified using a soft nitriding technique to …