Systematic Exploration of Synthesis Pathways to Nanoparticulate ZnPd

Synthesis of the intermetallic compound ZnPd by (i) coreduction of Pd 2+ and Zn 2+ by Superhydride, (ii) the use of ZnH 2 as a reducing agent and simultaneously as a Zn source, as well as (iii) electroless plating of nanoparticulate Zn with Pd 2+ is systematically explored. Chemical and differential thermal (DTA/TG) analysis, as well as infrared spectroscopy, confirmed the formation of ZnH 2 as isolable intermediate during the reduction of Zn 2+ with Superhydride. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and fractional sedimentation by disk centrifugation were applied to characterize the nanoparticulate products concerning their phase composition, crystallinity, and particle size distribution, respectively. While all routes lead to nanoparticles of ZnPd, electroless plating additionally allows one to control the crystallite size of ZnPd in a range of 2–5 nm.