Synthesis of ultra-small platinum nanoparticles in a continuous flow microreactor

Abstract In this work, we synthesized ultra-small platinum (Pt) nanoparticles, capped with poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), in a continuous flow microreactor. This method facilitated the synthesis Pt nanoparticles less than 5 nm at room temperature, as opposed to the conventional high-temperature synthesis. Further, we have demonstrated the effect of capping agent and flow rate on particle size and aggregation state of Pt nanoparticles. We found that the flow rate of reactants also has a significant effect on determining crystallinity of Pt nanoparticles. As-synthesized Pt NPs were analyzed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, revealing a monodisperse distribution of Pt nanoparticles, marked by crystalline and stable Pt nanoparticles.