Fabrication of platinum nanoparticles in aqueous solution and solid phase using amphiphilic PB-b-PEO copolymer nanoreactors

•Pt nanoparticles were synthesized within amphiphilic diblock copolymer micelles.•The effects of reducing agents and precursor dose on Pt np size were investigated.•The effect on fabrication of Pt np by reducing in aqueous and solid phases was compared.•The size of nanoparticles was about 1.4 nm for all doses and reducing agents types.

Fabrication of Pt nanoparticles using an amphiphilic copolymer template in aqueous solution was achieved via polybutadiene-block-polyethyleneoxide copolymer micelles, which acted as nanoreactors. In addition, Pt nanoparticles were synthesized using hydrogen gas as the reducing agent in solid state for the first time to compare against solution synthesis. The influences of loaded precursor salt amount to micelles and the type of reducing agent on the size of nanoparticles were investigated through transmission electron microscopy. It was found that increasing the ratio of precursor salt to copolymer and using different type of reducing agent, even in solid phase reduction, did not affect the nanoparticle size. The average size of Pt nanoparticles was estimated to be 1.4 ± 0.1 nm. The reason for getting same sized nanoparticles was discussed in the light of nucleation, growth process, stabilization and diffusion of nanoparticles within micelles.

Graphical abstractTEM image of Pt nanoparticles produced by reducing by NaBH4 within PB-b-PEO micelles in aqueous media (scale bar 1 nm).Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide