Synthesis and characterization of polymer-protected rhodium and palladium sols in mixed media

Abstract

A series of polymer-protected rhodium and palladium sols were generated in mixed (organic/aqueous) dispersion media. Protecting polymers used were PAA, PVP, PVA and an oligosaccharide-based protecting agent, arabinogalactan. This is the first systematic study of colloids generated in mixed solvent dispersion media with these protecting agents. The sols were characterized by TEM, UV/Vis spectrophotometry and Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (PCS). In general, the macroscopic stability of the sols depended on the protecting agent/organic cosolvent combination used, with a nonlinear dependence on cosolvent concentration. Observed sol stabilities correlated well with pre-existing hydrodynamic data for the protective polymers, e.g. radius of gyration data. Average particle size and polydispersity of all sols examined decreased as cosolvent concentration increased, with actual cosolvent concentration, protecting agent and reducing agent used influencing the extent of decrease. Sol particle sizes ranged from 0.8nm to 6.0nm with sol turbidities decreasing in parallel with the particle sizes. Hydrodynamic sizes (from PCS) tended to reflect the sols’ macroscopic stabilities. FTIR studies using adsorbed CO as a spectroscopic surface probe indicated decreases in the ν(CO)ads stretching frequency with an increase in cosolvent concentration due to competitive adsorption of CO with the cosolvent molecules on the metal colloid surfaces.