(Invited) Electrochemical Liquid-Liquid-Solid Deposition of Microwires, Nanowires, and Nanoparticles

Abstract

This presentation will describe our group's latest efforts to advance the concept of electrochemical liquid-liquid-solid (ec-LLS) deposition of inorganic nanomaterials. A brief historical overview of the concept and relevant precedents in the literature will be presented, followed by advances on two separate fronts. First, in-situ TEM studies of nanowire and nanoparticle growth will be detailed. These measurements describe the initial stages of the ec-LLS process. The cumulative data suggest that ec-LLS nanowire growths are typically performed under conditions of extreme supersaturation and this has a large influence on the resultant crystal quality. Second, the prospects for using ec-LLS to synthesize intermetallic nanoparticles and films will be documented for the first time. An important aspect of this work is describing the fate of initial electrodeposited adsorbates at the liquid metal/liquid electrolyte interface.