Platinum Nanoscale Lattice on a Graphite Surface Using Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide Hemi- and Precylindrical Micelle Templates

One-dimentional (1-D) thin-layer (2–5 nm) parallel strips of Pt on a graphite surface have been synthesized via a template-directed chemical deposition of Pt. The templates are a surface micellar strip of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) at highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). The concentration- and temperature-dependent morphology of surface micellar strips of CTAB at the graphite/aqueous solution is elucidated by using the atomic force microscopy (AFM) soft-contacting techniques. The dimentions and repeat period of the Pt strips can be widely controlled by the temperature: the width is from 47 to 169 nm and the period from 134 to 233 nm in the temperature range 25–33 °C. The morphological characteristics of the Pt strips depend on those of the original surface micellar strips. The fact that the strips are composed of metallic platinum was confirmed by testing the membrane electrode assembly with the strips in a special fuel cell. This approach could be extended to fabricate a wide range of 1-D self-assembling metallic nanostructures on surfaces using micelle-like self-assemblies carrying metal ions at interfaces.