Control of Gallium Oxide Growth on Liquid Metal Eutectic Gallium/Indium Nanoparticles via Thiolation.

Title Control of Gallium Oxide Growth on Liquid Metal Eutectic Gallium/Indium Nanoparticles via Thiolation.
Authors Z.J. Farrell; C. Tabor
Journal Langmuir
DOI 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b03384
Abstract

Eutectic gallium-indium alloy (EGaIn, a room-temperature liquid metal) nanoparticles are of interest for their unique potential uses in self-healing and flexible electronic devices. One reason for their interest is due to a passivating oxide skin that develops spontaneously on exposure to ambient atmosphere which resists deformation and rupture of the resultant liquid particles. It is then of interest to develop methods for control of this oxide growth process. It is hypothesized here that functionalization of EGaIn nanoparticles with thiolated molecules could moderate oxide growth based on insights from the Cabrera-Mott oxidation model. To test this, the oxidation dynamics of several thiolated nanoparticle systems were tracked over time with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These results demonstrate the ability to suppress gallium oxide growth by up to 30%. The oxide progressively matures over a 28 day period, terminating in different final thicknesses as a function of thiol selection. These results indicate not only that thiols moderate gallium oxide growth via competition with oxygen for surface sites but also that different thiols alter the thermodynamics of oxide growth through modification of the EGaIn work function.

Citation Z.J. Farrell; C. Tabor.Control of Gallium Oxide Growth on Liquid Metal Eutectic Gallium/Indium Nanoparticles via Thiolation.. Langmuir. 2018;34(1):234240. doi:10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b03384

Related Elements

Gallium

See more Gallium products. Gallium (atomic symbol: Ga, atomic number: 31) is a Block P, Group 13, Period 4 element with an atomic weight of 69.723.The number of electrons in each of Gallium's shells is 2, 8, 18, 3 and its electron configuration is [Ar] 3d10 4s2 4p1. The gallium atom has a radius of 122.1 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 187 pm. Gallium Bohr ModelGallium was predicted by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1871. It was first discovered and isolated by Lecoq de Boisbaudran in 1875. In its elemental form, gallium has a silvery appearance. Elemental GalliumGallium is one of three elements that occur naturally as a liquid at room temperature, the other two being mercury and cesium. Gallium does not exist as a free element in nature and is sourced commercially from bauxite and sphalerite. Currently, gallium is used in semiconductor devices for microelectronics and optics. The element name originates from the Latin word 'Gallia' referring to Gaul, the old name of France.

Indium

See more Indium products. Indium (atomic symbol: In, atomic number: 49) is a Block P, Group 13, Period 5 element with an atomic weight of 114.818. The number of electrons in each of indium's shells is [2, 8, 18, 18, 3] and its electron configuration is [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p1. The indium atom has a radius of 162.6 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 193 pm. Indium was discovered by Ferdinand Reich and Hieronymous Theodor Richter in 1863. Indium Bohr ModelIt is a relatively rare, extremely soft metal is a lustrous silvery gray and is both malleable and easily fusible. It has similar chemical properties to Elemental Indiumgallium such as a low melting point and the ability to wet glass. Fields such as optics and microelectronics that utilize semiconductor technology have wide uses for indium, especially in the form of Indiun Tin Oxide (ITO). Thin films of Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) are used in high-performing solar cells. Indium's name is derived from the Latin word indicum, meaning violet.

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