Surface Passivated Air and Moisture Stable Mixed Zirconium Aluminum Metal-Hydride Nanoparticles

Abstract

ABSTRACTSynthesis of surface passivated Zr-Al mixed metal-hydride nanoparticles was accomplished via a multi-step process. The initial reaction to produce the zirconium aluminum hydride was via decomposition of zirconium tetrahydroaluminate (Zr(AlH4)4) while exposed to ultrasound produced by a benchtop ultrasonic bath. The particles were surface passivated using carbohydrates and were shown to be stable in air and partially stable in water. TEM imaging suggests the existence of smaller particles made of a Zr-Al alloy that range in size from 1.8 nm to 7.9 nm in diameter and are interspersed with larger particles that range from tens to hundreds of nanometers in diameter. It was also shown that the carbohydrate-derived coating of the nanoparticles is present as an aluminum alkoxide gel surrounding the core particles.