Highly Dispersed Ni Nanoclusters Spontaneously Formed on Hydrogen Boride Sheets

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemistry

Background:

• Hydrogen boride (HB) sheets are 2D materials with a unique structure of negatively charged boron and positively charged hydrogen atoms.
• Two-dimensional materials offer unique properties for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the spontaneous synthesis of highly dispersed nickel (Ni) nanoclusters on hydrogen boride (HB) sheets.
• To investigate the formation mechanism and characteristics of Ni nanoclusters on HB sheets.

Main Methods:

• In-situ ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy to monitor the reduction of Ni ions.
• Varying molar ratios of HB to Ni (100:0.5 to 100:20) in acetonitrile.
• Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to characterize the size and distribution of Ni nanoclusters.

Main Results:

• Spontaneous formation and growth of Ni metal clusters on HB sheets confirmed by increasing absorbance over time.
• UV-Vis spectra showed a shift in absorbance peak position to higher wavelengths with increasing Ni ion concentration.
• TEM images revealed the formation of uniformly dispersed Ni nanoclusters, a few nanometers in size, on the HB sheets.

Conclusions:

• The HB sheets facilitate the spontaneous reduction of Ni ions, leading to highly dispersed Ni nanoclusters.
• These HB-supported Ni nanoclusters are suitable for catalytic, plasmonic, and hydrogen storage applications.
• The synthesis method provides a promising route for creating functionalized 2D materials.