Synthesis of Cu, Zn and Cu/Zn brass alloy nanoparticles from metal amidinate precursors in ionic liquids or propylene carbonate with relevance to methanol synthesis.
Microwave-induced decomposition of the transition metal amidinates {[Me(C(N(i)Pr)2)]Cu}2 (1) and [Me(C(N(i)Pr)2)]2Zn (2) in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][BF4]) or in propylene carbonate (PC) gives copper and zinc nanoparticles which are stable in the absence of capping ligands (surfactants) for more than six weeks. Co-decomposition of 1 and 2 yields the intermetallic nano-brass phases β-CuZn and γ-Cu3Zn depending on the chosen molar ratios of the precursors. Nanoparticles were characterized by high-angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), dynamic light scattering and powder X-ray diffractometry. Microstructure characterizations were complemented by STEM with spatially resolved energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Synthesis in ILs yields significantly smaller nanoparticles than in PC. β-CuZn alloy nanoparticles are precursors to catalysts for methanol synthesis from the synthesis gas H2/CO/CO2 with a productivity of 10.7 mol(MeOH) (kg(Cu) h)(-1).
Institut für Anorganische Chemie und Strukturchemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40204 Düsseldorf, Germany. janiak@uni-duesseldorf.de.
Kai
K
Schütte
Hajo
H
Meyer
Christian
C
Gemel
Juri
J
Barthel
Roland A
RA
Fischer
Christoph
C
Janiak
D000497:Alloys / Q000737:chemistry; D002384:Catalysis; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000737:chemistry; D052578:Ionic Liquids / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000432:Methanol / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D008872:Microwaves; D010316:Particle Size; D011407:Propane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry*
C419324:1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate; D000497:Alloys; D007093:Imidazoles; D052578:Ionic Liquids; C048399:brass; D003300:Copper; C045990:propylene carbonate; D015032:Zinc; D011407:Propane; D000432:Methanol