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Plasma Driven Exsolution for Nanoscale Functionalization of Perovskite Oxides
Vasileios Kyriakou1,2, Rakesh Kumar Sharma1, Dragos Neagu3
1Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER), Eindhoven, 5612 AJ, The Netherlands.
Small Methods
|December 20, 2021
Summary
Plasma treatment offers a novel, efficient method for exsolving nanoparticles from perovskite oxides, enhancing catalytic applications like CO2 hydrogenation. This technique surpasses conventional reduction in nanoparticle yield and offers broader applicability.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Catalysis
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Perovskite oxides with surface nanoparticles are crucial for energy conversion and catalysis.
- Redox exsolution is a method to grow nanoparticles on oxide supports, offering an alternative to deposition techniques.
- Conventional methods include thermochemical or electrochemical reduction for nanoparticle exsolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a new method for nanoparticle nucleation on perovskite oxides using plasma exposure.
- To demonstrate the applicability of plasma-induced exsolution via catalytic testing.
- To compare plasma exsolution with conventional thermochemical reduction.
Main Methods:
- Exposure of host perovskite (lanthanum titanate) to plasma for nanoparticle exsolution.
- Preparation of exsolved Nickel (Ni) nanoparticles using plasma or conventional H2 reduction.
- Catalytic testing of CO2 hydrogenation using the prepared Ni nanoparticles.
Main Results:
- Plasma conditions resulted in over ten times higher Ni exsolution from lanthanum titanate compared to conventional H2 reduction.
- Plasma exsolution is comparable to electrochemical methods in nanoparticle yield but avoids cell integration requirements.
- Nitrogen plasma treatment generates chemical intermediates like NO by stripping oxygen from the perovskite lattice.
Conclusions:
- Plasma exposure is an effective and versatile method for inducing nanoparticle exsolution from perovskite oxides.
- This plasma-based approach offers advantages over conventional reduction and electrochemical methods for nanoparticle synthesis.
- The process is applicable to various microstructures and forms, with potential for enhanced catalytic performance and novel chemical intermediate generation.
