Coupled optical and electrochemical probing of silver nanoparticle destruction in a reaction layer

The oxidation of silver nanoparticles is induced to occur near to, but not at, an electrode surface. This reaction at a distance from the electrode is studied through the use of dark-field microscopy, allowing individual nanoparticles and their reaction with the electrode product to be visualized. T...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Little, C, Batchelor-Mcauley, C, Ngamchuea, K, Lin, C, Young, N, Compton, R
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2018
Description
Summary:The oxidation of silver nanoparticles is induced to occur near to, but not at, an electrode surface. This reaction at a distance from the electrode is studied through the use of dark-field microscopy, allowing individual nanoparticles and their reaction with the electrode product to be visualized. The oxidation product diffuses away from the electrode and oxidizes the nanoparticles in a reaction layer, resulting in their destruction. The kinetics of the silver nanoparticle solution-phase reaction is shown to control the length scale over which the nanoparticles react. In general, the new methodology offers a route by which nanoparticle reactivity can be studied close to an electrode surface.