Nanoscale Schottky diodes for studying the activity of aluminum nanoparticles in reaction with water

Abstract

Abstract Hydrogen is a promising fuel for energy storage, transportation, production and consumption. At the same time, hydrogen in its pure form is not found on Earth in large quantities and therefore it is necessary to develop a technology for its production. One of the promising technologies for hydrogen production is the reaction of aluminum nanoparticles with water. At the same time, experimental studies of the elementary mechanisms of this reaction are difficult due to the aggressive properties of a concentrated alkaline solution, which is used to activate the aluminum surface. Here we show that the kinetics of the aluminum-water reaction can be monitored in real time using a Schottky nanodiode sensor, provided that the characteristic size of the nanodiode electrodes does not exceed 10 nm. The investigated nanoparticles are applied to the sensor surface by means of nanofabrication. The charge generated in the aluminum nanoparticles as a result of the reaction creates an electrical signal that is proportional to the rate of the chemical process. This makes it possible to use this technology to study the activity even of small groups of nanoparticles, when the volume of released hydrogen is insufficient to measure the reaction rate.