Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Chemistry
Date of Award
8-2019
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Gregory W. Bishop
Committee Members
Dane W. Scott, Hua Mei
Abstract
Studies of single, isolated nanoparticles provide better understanding of the structure-function relationship of nanoparticles since they avoid complications like interparticle distance and nanoparticle loading that are typically associated with collections of nanoparticles distributed on electrode supports. However, interpretation of results obtained from single nanoparticle immobilization studies can be difficult to interpret since the underlying nanoelectrode platform can contribute to the measured current, or the immobilization technique can adversely affect electron transfer. Here, we immobilized ligand-free gold nanoparticles on relatively electrocatalytically inert nitrogen-doped carbon ultramicroelectrodes that were prepared via a soft nitriding method. Sizes of the particles were estimated by a recently reported electrochemical method and were found to vary linearly with deposition time. The particles also exhibited electrocatalytic activity toward methanol oxidation. This immobilization strategy shows promise and may be translated to smaller nanoelectrodes in order to study electrocatalytic properties of single nanoparticles.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Mawudoku, Daniel, "Immobilization of Electrocatalytically Active Gold Nanoparticles on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Fiber Electrodes" (2019). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3620. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3620
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.