PhD defense Nataliia Marchenko

Ultra-small metal nanoparticles (NP, <3 nm) have unique properties originating from their size such as a high surface-to-volume ratio and a quantization of their physical properties. These characteristics make them a popular object of investigation in catalysis, biomedicine, optics and electronics. Stabilizing ligands which are generally used to preserve the small size and the dispersion of NPs can also influence their functional properties.
In this thesis, we investigated how ligands can modulate the intrinsic properties of small metallic NPs. Namely, we stabilized ultra-small platinum-based NPs with cyclodextrins, porphyrins, ruthenium(II) bipyridyl complexes, or supported ionic liquids and used these nanomaterials in catalytic hydrogenation and self-assembly studies.
This study highlights the importance of a thorough ligand choice to produce stable active NPs. The results of this research can serve as a guideline for a rational design of nanocomposites to form self-assembled systems or selective catalysts.