Probing the chemical interaction between iridium nanoparticles and ionic liquid by XPS analysis

Abstract In situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of Ir(0) nanoparticles (1.6 ± 0.3 nm) dispersed in imidazolium ionic liquid (EMI.EtSO4) shows evidences of the effective interaction between the metallic clusters and the surrounding liquid. By monitoring the C 1s signal of the ionic liquid one observes a change of the binding energy in one of its components (C2) when in the presence of Ir nanoparticles. This result was corroborated by isotope labeling experiments.