title: Ethylenediamine Promotes Cu Nanowire Growth by Inhibiting Oxidation of Cu(111).
abstract: The synthesis of metal nanostructures usually requires a capping agent that is generally thought to cause anisotropic growth by blocking the addition of atoms to specific crystal facets. This work uses a series of electrochemical measurements with a quartz crystal microbalance and single-crystal electrodes to elucidate the facet-selective chemistry occurring in the synthesis of Cu nanowires. Contrary to prevailing hypotheses, ethylenediamine, a so-called capping agent in the synthesis of Cu nanowires, causes anisotropic growth by increasing the rate of atomic addition to (111) facets at the end of a growing nanowire relative to (100) facets on the sides of a nanowire. Ethylenediamine increases the reduction rate of Cu(OH)2-on a Cu(111) surface relative to Cu(100) by selectively inhibiting the formation of Cu oxide on Cu(111). This work demonstrates how studying facet-selective electrochemistry can improve the understanding of the processes by which atoms assemble to form anisotropic metal nanostructures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Duke University , 124 Science Drive, Box 90354, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Myung Jun
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Duke University , 124 Science Drive, Box 90354, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Patrick F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Flowers
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Duke University , 124 Science Drive, Box 90354, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Ian E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Duke University , 124 Science Drive, Box 90354, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Shengrong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University , Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seungyeon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University , Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Jeong
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Duke University , 124 Science Drive, Box 90354, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0055-9018
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Wiley