A new method has been developed for synthesizing colloidal metal nano-particles with shape control. This method has been demonstrated for platinum and palladium nano-particles and is being extended to other metals. Shape control is vital in producing colloidal metal particles for catalysis and other high-tech uses because the particles chemical reactivity depends on their size and shape.
Catalysis occurs on the surface atoms of a solid.
As the size of the solid decreases, more atoms will be exposed to the surface and become active in catalysis. Furthermore, the type of catalysis depends on the type of surface on which the atom resides. Different shapes have different surfaces and thus should have different catalytic activity. It is the only synthetic method that controls the shape of nano-particles. The apparent efficacy of this new technology has been demonstrated at the laboratory level.