Synthesis and characterization of catalytic iridium nanoparticles in imidazolium ionic liquids

Abstract The reduction of [Ir(cod)Cl]2 (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) dissolved in 1-n-butyl-3-methyl tetrafluoroborate, hexafluorophosphate and trifluoromethane sulphonate ionic liquids in the presence of 1-decene by molecular hydrogen produces Ir(0) nanoparticles. The formation of these nanoparticles follows the two-step [A → B, A + B → 2B ( k 1 , k 2 )] autocatalytic mechanism. The same mean diameter values of around 2–3 nm were estimated from in situ TEM and SAXS analyses of the Ir(0) nanoparticles dispersed in the ionic liquids and by XRD of the isolated material. XPS and EXAFS analyses clearly show the interactions of the ionic liquid with the metal surface demonstrating the formation of …