Metal-halide Nanoparticle Formation: Electrolytic and Chemical Synthesis of Mercury(I) Chloride Nanoparticles

Journal article

Mercury(I) chloride (Hg2Cl2) nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesised for the first time by using two different techniques. First, particles are formed by implosion of a calomel nanolayer, induced by partial electrolysis at a mercury hemisphere microelectrode. The resulting NPs are then characterised by the nanoimpact method, demonstrating the first time metal chloride NPs have been sized by this technique and showing the ability to form and study NPs insitu. Second, Hg2Cl2 NPs are synthesised by using the precipitation reaction of Hg2(NO3)2 with KCl. The NPs are characterised on both mercury and carbon microelectrodes and their size is found to agree with TEM results. Sizable studies: Mercury(I) chloride (Hg2Cl2) nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesised for the first time by using two different techniques. First, particles are formed by implosion of a calomel nanolayer, induced by partial electrolysis at a mercury hemisphere microelectrode. Second, Hg2Cl2 NPs are synthesised by the precipitation reaction between Hg2(NO3)2 and KCl. The NPs are characterised on both mercury and carbon microelectrodes by using the nanoimpact method and their size is found to agree with TEM results.

Authors: Bartlett, T; Batchelor-McAuley, C; Tschulik, K; Jurkschat, K; Compton, R

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley-VCH
• Journal: ChemElectroChem
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 522-528
• Publication date: 2015-04-01
• DOI: 10.1002/celc.201402401
• EISSN: 2196-0216
• ISSN: 2196-0216
• Keywords: chronoamperometry; voltammetry; metal halides; nanoimpacts; electrochemistry