Operando Observation of Vacuum and Liquid Interface while Conducting Gold Sputtering onto Ionic Liquid for Preparation of Au Nanoparticles

Abstract

In order to clarify the nanoparticles formation process of the metal sputtering onto ionic liquid, which is the facile method to prepare metal nanoparticles, the vacuum-liquid interface was captured by a camcorder while conducting gold sputtering. Because of intense color of Au clusters, move of Au clusters by convection of ionic liquid was clearly observed. The convection is a dominant factor in a transport of the resulting Au nanoparticles from the surface to interior of the ionic liquid.