On the influence of diphosphine ligands on the chemical order in small RuPt nanoparticles: combined structural and surface reactivity studies

Diphenylphosphinobutane (dppb) stabilized bimetallic RuPt nanoparticles were prepared by co-decomposition of [Ru(COD)(COT)] [(1,5-cyclooctadiene)(1,3,5-cyclooctatriene) ruthenium] and [Pt(CH3)(2)(COD)] [dimethyl(1,5-cyclooctadiene) platinum(II)] organometallic precursors under mild conditions (room temperature, 3 bar of dihydrogen) and in the presence of dppb. The determination of the nano-particles' chemical composition was made possible thanks to a combination of several characterization techniques (HREM, STEM-HAADF, WAXS, EXAFS, IR, NMR) associated with surface reactivity studies based on simple catalytic reactions. The obtained nanoparticles display a ruthenium rich core and a disordered shell containing both ruthenium and platinum. The results were compared with those obtained on nanoparticles of similar size and composition but not containing ligands. The complexity observed in the present structure of these nanoparticles arises from the high chemical affinity of the diphosphine ligand used as a stabilizer for both metals.