Sol-Gel Synthesis and Characterization of Foamed Ni3pt Alloys

Abstract

This study focuses on the preparation of Ni3Pt nanoporous alloy foams. These foams were synthesized through the annealing of a colloid composed of Ni(NO3)2, H2PtCl6, and starch under an argon gas atmosphere. The field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were employed to analyze the chemical composition, structure, and crystallographic properties of the obtained products. The product exhibits a three-dimensional foam structure with open pores, characterized by an average pore size of 300 nm. Additionally, it possesses structural supports of around 140 nm within the open-pore configuration. XRD analysis confirms that the obtained product exhibits a face-centered cubic phase, indicating that it is a Ni3Pt alloy. This result is further supported by the reduced surface atomic ratio and Pt binding energy observed in the XPS analysis. The resulting open-cell Ni3Pt alloy foam exhibits a homogeneous and well-defined three-dimensional structure, offering a high specific surface area. These characteristics present potential applications for the Ni3Pt alloy foam in battery and electrode materials.

Keywords: Sol-gel preparation, Porous materials, Metals and alloys, Ni3Pt