Fabrication of Pt/Au Concentric Spheres from Triblock Copolymer

Abstract

Dispersion of an aqueous H 2PtCl 6 solution into a trifluorotoluene (TFT) solution of a polystyreneblock-poly(2-vinylpyridine)- block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO) triblock copolymer produced an emulsion-induced hollow micelle (EIHM), comprising a water nanodroplet stabilized by PEO, H 2PtCl 6/P2VP, and PS, sequentially. The following addition of an aqueous LiAuCl 4 solution into the dispersion led to a coordination of LiAuCl 4 and PEO. The resulting spherical EIHM structure was transformed to a hollow cylindrical micelle by the fusion of spherical EIHM with the addition of methanol. This structural transition was reversible by the alternative addition of methanol and TFT. Oxygen plasma was used to generate Pt/Au concentric spheres and hollow cylindrical Pt/Au nano-objects.