Electrocatalyst Fabrication Using Metal Nanoparticles Prepared in Ionic Liquids

Metal nanoparticle-based electrocatalysts are widely used in electronic devices, which serve for electrochemical reactions like oxygen reduction reaction, alcohol oxidation and CO2 reduction reaction. These catalyst-dependent reactions are the key of the emerging clean energy systems. Catalyst design and synthesis therefore have received keen attention in past decades. We are motivated to study synthesis approaches of metal nanoparticle-based electrocatalysts using ionic liquids (ILs), which are promising solvents for the nanoparticle preparation because of their unique physicochemical properties. In this personal account, we review our previous and present works on nanoparticle preparation in IL and utilization of the obtained nanoparticles as electrocatalysts.