| Nanometer-sized metal particles have attracted much attention from researchers of different scientific and technological view points. This is due to their unique physicochemical properties and their importance as catalysts. In the present work, Pd nanoparticles, as well as other structures, were formed on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surfaces by the thermal reduction of various Pd molecular clusters precursors. In order to confirm the reduction of the precursors Fourier Transformed Infrared (FT-IR) was performed of the molecular clusters precursors powder. The particles size and morphology were characterized by scanning probe microscopy (SPM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). On the otherhand, the particles composition was determined by X-ray microanalysis (EDS). EDS analysis showed that the nanoparticles consist of Pd. The size of these nanoparticles was influenced by the molecular clusters precursors. It is proposed that other important factors such as substrate defects and surroundings conditions like the functional groups in the molecular precursors, van der Waals interactions between particles and particle substrate, and capillary forces may affect the arrangement of these particles on HOPG surfaces. |
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