Muhammad Nawaz Tahir

Title : Synthesis, characterization and catalytic applications of Au@Pd heteroparticles

Abstract:

The catalytic and optical properties of nobel-metal nanoparticles can be tuned by controlling the shape and dimensions. Multicomponent nanomaterials consisting of two or more than two noble metals can enhance these properties not only due to the presence of more than one domain but also because of the interfacial electronic communication. We present the synthesis of different shape multicomponent Au@Pd nanoparticles by controlling the nucleation and growth steps in non-aqueous medium. Moreover, we have explored the role of different morphologies on the catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol with sodium borohydride. The composition and crystal structure of all bimetallic NPs were analysed using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction and electron diffraction (ED).

Audience Take Away:

• Synthesis of bimetallic multicomponent nanoparticles.
• Control on nucleation and growth processes on nanoscale.
• Efficient use of advanced nanoscale characterization techniques.

Biography:

Dr. Muhammad Nawaz Tahir received his PhD in 2006 from Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) of Mainz, Germany with distinction “Summa Cum Laude” under the supervision of Prof. Wolfgang Tremel. Later, as post-doctoral fellow, he underwent many research projects funded by DFG, MWFZ and Max Plank Society. In 2010, he joined the Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry JGU Mainz, as senior scientist. Since September, 2017 he joined the Chemistry Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals as assistant Professor. His research interests involve synthesis of innovative nanomaterials, characterization, surface functionalization, for biomedical and energy storage applications.