Noble metal nanoparticles in organic matrix

Abstract The purpose of this work is the synthesis and study of the properties of nanocomposite structures created by noble metal (silver) nanoparticles (NP's), an exciting class of materials with unique properties differ from both bulk and atomic behavior, which are self-organize in a thin organic film of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc). The structure and morphology of this material, depending on the amount of deposited silver, was studied in ultrahigh vacuum using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoelectron spectroscopy (PES). Metallic atoms deposited on the surface of an organic substrate diffuse into the substrate, forming NPs with a narrow size distribution, which correlates with the content of the deposited metal. With the help of high-resolution TEM, the distance between the atomic planes of individual silver nanoparticles was determined and the steady gathering of individual nanoparticles into agglomerates and then into nanocrystals with inter-crystallite boundaries was observed. PES revealed a generally weak interaction between silver NPs and the organic matrix. However, a strong band bending in the organic film at small coatings with metal atoms was observed.