TY - JOUR
T1 - Capacitively coupled nonthermal plasma synthesis of aluminum nanocrystals for enhanced yield and size control
AU - Cameron, Thomas
AU - Klause, Bailey
AU - Andaraarachchi, Himashi
AU - Xiong, Zichang
AU - Reed, Carter
AU - Thapa, Dinesh
AU - Wu, Chi Chin
AU - Kortshagen, Uwe R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd.
PY - 2023/9/24
Y1 - 2023/9/24
N2 - Uniform-size, non-native oxide-passivated metallic aluminum nanoparticles (Al NPs) have desirable properties for fuel applications, battery components, plasmonics, and hydrogen catalysis. Nonthermal plasma-assisted synthesis of Al NPs was previously achieved with an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reactor, but the low production rate and limited tunability of particle size were key barriers to the applications of this material. This work focuses on the application of capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) to achieve improved control over Al NP size and a ten-fold increase in yield. In contrast with many other materials, where NP size is controlled via the gas residence time in the reactor, the Al NP size appeared to depend on the power input to the CCP system. The results indicate that the CCP reactor assembly, with a hydrogen-rich argon/hydrogen plasma, was able to produce Al NPs with diameters that were tunable between 8 and 21 nm at a rate up ∼ 100 mg h−1. X-ray diffraction indicates that a hydrogen-rich environment results in crystalline metal Al particles. The improved synthesis control of the CCP system compared to the ICP system is interpreted in terms of the CCP’s lower plasma density, as determined by double Langmuir probe measurements, leading to reduced NP heating in the CCP that is more amenable to NP nucleation and growth.
AB - Uniform-size, non-native oxide-passivated metallic aluminum nanoparticles (Al NPs) have desirable properties for fuel applications, battery components, plasmonics, and hydrogen catalysis. Nonthermal plasma-assisted synthesis of Al NPs was previously achieved with an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reactor, but the low production rate and limited tunability of particle size were key barriers to the applications of this material. This work focuses on the application of capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) to achieve improved control over Al NP size and a ten-fold increase in yield. In contrast with many other materials, where NP size is controlled via the gas residence time in the reactor, the Al NP size appeared to depend on the power input to the CCP system. The results indicate that the CCP reactor assembly, with a hydrogen-rich argon/hydrogen plasma, was able to produce Al NPs with diameters that were tunable between 8 and 21 nm at a rate up ∼ 100 mg h−1. X-ray diffraction indicates that a hydrogen-rich environment results in crystalline metal Al particles. The improved synthesis control of the CCP system compared to the ICP system is interpreted in terms of the CCP’s lower plasma density, as determined by double Langmuir probe measurements, leading to reduced NP heating in the CCP that is more amenable to NP nucleation and growth.
KW - aluminium nanoparticles
KW - aluminum nanoparticles
KW - capacitively coupled plasma
KW - double Langmuir probe
KW - halogenated precursor
KW - metal nanoparticles
KW - nonthermal plasma synthesis
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U2 - 10.1088/1361-6528/ace193
DO - 10.1088/1361-6528/ace193
M3 - Article
C2 - 37364540
AN - SCOPUS:85164280968
SN - 0957-4484
VL - 34
JO - Nanotechnology
JF - Nanotechnology
IS - 39
M1 - 395601
ER -