Partial Chemicalization of Nanoscale Metals: An Intra-Material Transformative Approach for the Synthesis of Functional Colloidal Metal-Semiconductor Nanoheterostructures

Heterostructuring colloidal nanocrystals into multicomponent modular constructs, where domains of distinct metal and semiconductor phases are interconnected through bonding interfaces, is a consolidated approach to advanced breeds of solution-processable hybrid nanomaterials capable of expressing richly tunable and even entirely novel physical-chemical properties and functionalities. To meet the challenges posed by the wet-chemical synthesis of metal-semiconductor nanoheterostructures and to overcome some intrinsic limitations of available protocols, innovative transformative routes, based on the paradigm of partial chemicalization, have recently been devised within the framework of the standard seeded-growth scheme. These techniques involve regiospecific replacement reactions on preformed nanocrystal substrates, thus holding great synthetic potential for programmable configurational diversification. This review article illustrates achievements so far made in the elaboration of metal-semiconductor nanoheterostructures with tailored arrangements of their component modules by means of conversion pathways that leverage on spatially controlled partial chemicalization of mono- and bi-metallic seeds. The advantages and limitations of these approaches are discussed within the context of the most plausible mechanisms underlying the evolution of the nanoheterostructures in liquid media. Representative physical-chemical properties and applications of chemicalization-derived metal-semiconductor nanoheterostructures are emphasized. Finally, prospects for developments in the field are outlined.

Cage-bell Pt-Pd nanostructures with enhanced catalytic properties and superior methanol tolerance for oxygen reduction reaction

Precisely tailoring the structure and fully making use of the components of nanoparticles are effective to enhance their catalytic performance for a given reaction. We herein demonstrate the design of cage-bell structured Pt-Pd nanoparticles, where a Pd shell is deliberately selected to enhance the catalytic property and methanol tolerance of Pt for oxygen reduction reaction. This strategy starts with the synthesis of core-shell Pt@Ag nanoparticles, followed by galvanic replacement reaction between the Ag shell and Pd²⁺ ions to form core-shell-shell Pt@Ag@Ag-Pd nanoparticles with a Pt core and double shells composed of Ag at inner and alloy Ag-Pd at outer, respectively. Then, the core-shell-shell templates are agitated with saturated NaCl solution to eliminate the Ag component from the double shells, leading to the formation of bimetallic Pt-Pd nanoparticles with a cage-bell structure, defined as a movable Pt core enclosed by a porous Pd shell, which show enhanced catalytic activity for oxygen reduction compared with that of the Pt seeds due to the additional catalysis from Pd shell. In addition, owing to the different diffusion behavior of methanol and oxygen molecules in the porous Pd shell, the Pt-Pd cage-bell nanostructures also exhibit superior methanol tolerant property in catalyzing the oxygen reduction.