SYNTHESIS OF LAYERED PLATINUM-BASED MATERIALS THROUGH THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION OF SELF-ASSEMBLED METAL CARBONYL-SURFACTANT PHASES

The first attempt at using metal carbonyls as precursors for mesostruc tured materials, reported here, suggests that this new approach to met al carbonyl, metal carbide, and purely metallic mesostructured materia ls holds promise. The precipitation of platinum carbonyl anions of the type [(Pr-3(CO6)(n)](2-) (n = 3 to 5) with cetyltrimethylammonium chl oride is shown to lead to layered platinum carbonyl phases, which lose CO under thermal conditions to form layered platinum-based phases. Me sostructured metals are important in nanoscale electronic applications and in catalytic processes involving large molecules.