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Updated: Dec 20, 2025
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Electrochemical Roughening of Thin-Film Platinum Macro and Microelectrodes
Published on: June 30, 2019
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Platinum recycling through electroless dissolution under mild conditions using a surface activation assisted
Raghunandan Sharma1, Per Morgen1, Shuang Ma Andersen1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Environmental Technology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark. mashu@kbm.sdu.dk sharmariitk@gmail.com.
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP
|June 2, 2020
Summary
Recycling nanoparticulate platinum (Pt) is vital. This study shows fast Pt nanoparticle dissolution in mild conditions by removing surface impurities, improving recycling efficiency for sustainable industrial use.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Precious metals (PMs) recycling is crucial due to high demand and limited supply.
- Nanoparticulate precious metals offer high surface area for efficient dissolution, but large-scale recycling methods are limited.
- Current dissolution methods may involve complex oxidation-reduction cycles unsuitable for industrial application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a fast and efficient method for dissolving platinum (Pt) nanoparticles under mild conditions.
- To investigate the phenomenon of non-oxide passivation (NOP) hindering Pt dissolution.
- To demonstrate a surface activation strategy for enhanced Pt nanoparticle recycling.
Main Methods:
- Dissolution of Pt nanoparticles in chloride-containing dilute acidic/neutral baths at room temperature and pressure.
- Identification and characterization of non-oxide passivation (NOP) caused by adsorbed impurities.
- Surface activation using cyclic perturbation (e.g., HCl-water cycling) to remove NOP.
- Quantification of dissolution rates with and without NOP removal.
Main Results:
- Achieved fast dissolution of Pt nanoparticles under mild conditions without cyclic oxidation-reduction.
- Identified non-oxide passivation (NOP) as a key factor limiting dissolution efficiency.
- Surface activation significantly enhanced dissolution rates, increasing from ~10% per hour to ~19% per hour.
- Demonstrated a ~55% dissolution in 3 hours with surface activation, compared to ~30% without.
Conclusions:
- Developed an effective method for recycling Pt nanoparticles via [PtClx]2- complexation, overcoming NOP.
- Surface activation is a viable strategy to maintain nanoparticle activity and improve dissolution rates.
- The proposed approach offers a cost-efficient, environmentally friendly, and scalable solution for industrial precious metal recycling.
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