Breakthrough in blending metals opens up a new field in chemistry on a one-nanometer scale
September 26, 2018
Researchers in Japan have found a way to create innovative materials by blending metals with precision control. Their approach, based on a concept called atom hybridization, opens up an unexplored area of chemistry that could lead to the development of advanced functional materials.
Background
Multimetallic clusters — typically composed of three or more metals — are garnering attention as they exhibit properties that cannot be attained by single-metal materials. If a variety of metal elements are freely blended, it is expected that as-yet-unknown substances are discovered and highly-functional materials are developed. So far, no one had reported the multimetallic clusters blended with more than four metal elements so far because of unfavorable separation of different metals. One idea to overcome this difficulty is miniaturization of cluster sizes to one-nanometer scale, which forces the different metals to be blended in a small space. However, there was no way to realize this idea.
Overview
A team, including Takamasa Tsukamoto, Takane Imaoka, Kimihisa Yamamoto and colleagues, has developed an atom hybridization method, which has realized the first-ever synthesis of multimetallic clusters consisting of more than five metal elements with precise control of size and composition. This method employs a dendrimer template that serves as a tiny “scaffold” to enable controlled accumulation of metal salts. After precise uptake of the different metals into the dendrimer, multimetallic clusters are obtained by chemical reduction. (See Figure 1.) In contrast, a conventional method without the dendrimer yields enlargement of cluster sizes and separation of different metals. (See Figure 2.)
Figure 2. A conventional method without the dendrimer template Large clusters (of over 10-nanometers) are obtained, and different metals are separated from each other.
The team successfully demonstrated the formation of five-element clusters composed of gallium (Ga), indium (In), gold (Au), bismuth (Bi) and tin (Sn), as well as iron (Fe), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), antimony (Sb) and copper (Cu), and a six-element cluster consisting of Ga, In, Au, Bi, Sn and platinum (Pt). Additionally, they hint at the possibility of making clusters composed of eight metals or more.
Future Development
This atom hybridization method using the dendrimer template can synthesize ultrasmall multimetallic clusters with precise control of size and composition. There are more than 90 metals in the periodic table. With infinite combinations of metal elements, atomicity and composition, this method will open up a new field in chemistry on a one-nanometer scale. The current study marks a major step forward in creating such as-yet-unknown innovative materials.
Q1 2024 Earnings Call May 8, 2024 Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. isn’t one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Operator: Good ...
The research findings were published online in Advanced Materials on April 9, 2024. MOCVD is a cutting-edge technique that employs gaseous precursors to carry out chemical reactions with outstanding ...
The Windsor, England-based carbon and ceramic metals manufacturer said sales for the first three months of the year to March 31 were 12% higher on an organic constant currency basis, compared to the ...
Morgan Advanced Materials said in an update on Thursday that in the first three months of the year, it saw a notable increase in sales, with a 12% rise on an organic constant currency basis compared ...
Gayatri's childhood in an engineering-centric family sparked a fiery love for science and technology, which naturally guided her toward a career in engineering. She began exploring the fascinating ...
Adjusted Free Cash Flow guidance for 2024 increased to between $80 million and $100 million, reflecting positive adjustments in financial management strategies. Debt Management: Total debt stood at ...
While we usually think of disorder as a bad thing, a team of materials science researchers led by Rohan Mishra, from Washington University in St. Louis, and Jayakanth Ravichandran, from the University ...
A Birmingham researcher has developed a new high-throughput device that produces libraries of nanomaterials using sustainable mechanochemical approaches.
