Metal nanoparticles synthesized via a novel reagent and application to electrochemical devices
View Patent ↗Methods for synthesizing metal nanoparticles and the nanoparticles so produced are provided. The methods include addition of surfactant to a novel reagent complex between zero-valent metal and a hydride. The nanoparticles produced by the method include oxide-free, zero-valent tin nanoparticles useful in fabricating a battery electrode.
1. A method for synthesizing metal nanoparticles, comprising:
adding surfactant to a core reagent complex to produce core nanoparticles, the core reagent complex being described by Formula I,
M core 0 -X y I,
wherein M core 0 is a zero-valent metal, wherein X is a hydride molecule, and wherein y is a value greater than zero; and
adding surfactant to a shell reagent complex in the presence of core nanoparticles, the shell reagent complex being described by Formula II:
M shell 0 -X y ′ II,
wherein M shell 0 is a zero-valent metal of atomic number different from that of M core 0 , wherein X′ is a hydride molecule which may be of the same identity or different identity as compared to X, and wherein y is a value greater than zero.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein M core 0 and M shell 0 are each selected from the group that includes a zero-valent transition metal and a zero-valent post-transition metal.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein M core 0 and M shell 0 are each selected from the group that includes tin and bismuth.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein M core 0 is tin and M shell 0 is bismuth.
5. An electrode comprising core-shell nanoparticles, the core-shell nanoparticles synthesized by a method comprising:
adding surfactant to a core reagent complex to produce core nanoparticles, the core reagent complex being described by Formula I,
M core 0 -X y I,
wherein M core 0 is a zero-valent metal, wherein X is a hydride molecule, and wherein y is a value greater than zero; and
adding surfactant to a shell reagent complex in the presence of core nanoparticles, the shell reagent complex being described by Formula II:
M shell 0 -X y ′ II,
wherein M shell 0 is a zero-valent metal of atomic number different from that of M core 0 , wherein X′ is a hydride molecule which may be of the same identity or different identity as compared to X, and wherein y is a value greater than zero.
6. The electrode of claim 5 wherein M core 0 and M shell 0 are each selected from the group that includes a zero-valent transition metal and a zero-valent post-transition metal.
7. The electrode of claim 6 wherein M core 0 and M shell 0 are each selected from the group that includes a tin and bismuth.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein M core 0 is tin and M shell 0 is bismuth.
9. An electrochemical cell having an electrode, the electrode comprising core-shell nanoparticles, the core-shell nanoparticles synthesized by a method comprising:
adding surfactant to a core reagent complex to produce core nanoparticles, the core reagent complex being described by Formula I,
M core 0 -X y I,
wherein M core 0 is a zero-valent metal, wherein X is a hydride molecule, and wherein y is a value greater than zero; and
adding surfactant to a shell reagent complex in the presence of core nanoparticles, the shell reagent complex being described by Formula II:
M shell 0 -X y ′ II,
wherein M shell 0 is a zero-valent metal of atomic number different from that of M core 0 , wherein X′ is a hydride molecule which may be of the same identity or different identity as compared to X, and wherein y is a value greater than zero.
10. The electrochemical cell of claim 9 wherein the electrode is an anode.
11. The electrochemical cell of claim 9 wherein the electrode is an insertion-type anode.
12. The electrochemical cell of claim 9 which is a Mg-ion electrochemical cell.
13. The electrochemical cell of claim 9 which is a Mg-ion electrochemical cell, wherein the electrode is an insertion-type anode, and wherein M core 0 and M shell 0 are each selected from the group that includes a zero-valent transition metal and a zero-valent post-transition metal.
14. The electrochemical cell of claim 13 wherein M core 0 and M shell 0 are each selected from the group that includes tin and bismuth.
15. The electrochemical cell of claim 14 wherein M ore 0 is tin and M shell 0 is bismuth.
16. The electrochemical cell of claim 14 wherein M ore 0 is bismuth and M shell 0 is tin.
17. The electrochemical cell of claim 14 which includes an operative electrochemical reaction according to at least one of Reaction III and Reaction IV:
Sn+2Mg 2+ +4 e − ⇄Mg 2 Sn III.
2Bi+3Mg 2+ +6 e − ⇄Mg 3 Bi 2 IV.