Production of Size-Controlled Gold Nanoclusters for Vapor-Liquid-Solid Method

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Surface Science

Background:

• Controlling nanocluster size and yield is crucial for their applications.
• Gold (Au) nanoclusters are promising for catalysis and materials synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the deposition of size-controlled gold nanoclusters.
• To investigate the influence of sputtering parameters on nanocluster characteristics.
• To evaluate the catalytic application of synthesized gold nanoclusters.

Main Methods:

• Direct-current magnetron sputtering and inert gas condensation techniques were employed.
• Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used for size and uniformity analysis.
• Variations in sputtering power, gas flow rate, and aggregation length were systematically studied.

Main Results:

• Gold nanocluster size (1.7 ± 0.1 nm to 9.1 ± 0.1 nm) and yield were controlled by source parameters.
• Increasing sputtering power, gas flow rate, and aggregation length generally increased nanocluster size.
• Inert gas flow rate significantly impacted nanocluster size, while sputtering power influenced yield.
• Nucleation and growth mechanisms involving three-body and two-body collisions were proposed.

Conclusions:

• Size-controlled gold nanoclusters can be reliably produced using sputtering and gas condensation.
• The study provides insights into the mechanisms governing nanocluster formation.
• Synthesized gold nanoclusters demonstrated catalytic activity in the vapor-liquid-solid synthesis of germanium telluride nanowires.