Adsorption Properties of Individual Gold, Nickel, and Platinum Nanoparticles Deposited onto Silicon Surface

Gold, nickel and platinum nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesized by impregnating single-crystalline silicon surface with precursors (aqueous solutions of corresponding salts). The morphologies of the formed nanostructured coatings have been studied, and the electronic structures of the synthesized NPs, as well as their adsorption properties with respect to H₂, O₂, and H₂O, have been determined. It has been found that oxidized nickel NPs are reduced by molecular hydrogen, while pure platinum NPs are oxidized by molecular oxygen already at room temperature. This phenomenon has not been observed for particles deposited in a similar way onto highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. In addition, it has been revealed that water molecules are formed on gold NPs as a result of the interaction between H₂ and O₂ in two stages, in contrast to the three-stage process (sequential exposure in H₂, O₂, and H₂), which is inherent in NPs deposited onto graphite. Differences in the adsorption properties of NPs of the same type deposited onto graphite and silicon are associated with the adsorption of a significant amount of the test gases on the latter.