(Invited) Electroless Cu, Pb and Ag Monolayer Deposition – Generality of an Electroless Monolayer Deposition Phenomenon

Abstract

Recent progress in fuel cell catalysis has been enabled in great part by facile methods for catalyst monolayer synthesis based on surface limited redox replacement (SLRR) of underpotentially deposited (UPD) monolayers. Although this approach has been very effective, it has shown a limited applications in majority of heterogeneous gas phase catalysis problems where substrates are oxide based materials with very limited conductivity. In this talk we point out a new possibility for catalyst monolayer synthesis via SLRR on metal surfaces which are not part of a broadly conductive substrates such as metal nanoparticles imbedded in various oxide or zeolite supports. This is enabled by discovery of an electroless (E-less) Pb, Cu and Ag monolayer deposition phenomenon. Fundamentals of the E-less monolayer deposition are reviewed, and new data illustrating Cu and Ag monolayer deposition are presented. The focus is on emphasizing generality of the E-less monolayer deposition phenomenon, its self-termination and surface selectivity towards substrates at which Cu, Ag and Pb form UPD monolayer. Examples of the thin films and catalyst monolayer deposition via SLRR of E-less Cu, Ag and Pb monolayer are presented under the auspices of a newly developed two-step electroless atomic layer deposition protocol (E-less ALD)1.1) Electroless Pb Monolayer Deposition – Prelude for Further Advances in Catalyst Monolayer Synthesis via Surface Limited Redox Replacement Reaction”, K. Ahmadi, N. Dole, D. Wu, T. Salavati‐Fard, L. C. Grabow, F. C. Robles Hernandez, and S. R. Brankovic, ACS Catalysis, 11, 4650 (2021).