05/22/2025
By Suzanne Young
The Kennedy College of Sciences, Department of Chemistry, invites you to attend a Master’s thesis defense by Sarah Dawes on “Designing Trimetallic Mixed-Phase Plasmonic Nanoparticles by Galvanic Exchange.”
Defense Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Time: 11 a.m.-noon
Location: Olney Hall 518, North Campus
Committee:
- James F. Reuther, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell
- Marina Ruths, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Advisor: Michael B. Ross, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Abstract
Multimetallic nanoparticles are promising materials for applications in catalysis, energy, and optics due to their enhanced properties derived from intricate compositional mixing, morphology, and structure. Galvanic exchange has emerged as a powerful approach to spontaneously transform simple nanostructures into sophisticated multimetallic architectures without the need for harsh thermal and chemical protocols. While noble metals have traditionally dominated this area, non-precious metals facilitate galvanic exchange with a broader range of metal ion species, providing access to a greater number of metal combinations. This study introduces a versatile strategy for synthesizing trimetallic mixed alloy–intermetallic plasmonic nanoparticles from reactive Au-Sn precursors. Through integrated analytical techniques, we comprehensively monitored the transformation leading to complex Au-Sn-M (M = Pd, Rh, Cu) architectures, providing insights into elemental composition, atomic structure, and surface morphology. This work offers valuable guidance for the controlled synthesis of multimetallic nanostructures and deepens our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of galvanic exchange in bimetallic and mixed-phase systems.