Abstract
Using hydrothermal techniques, a novel synthetic approach to prepare ruthenium nanoparticles has been developed. At 180 °C and under autogenous pressure, starting from an aqueous solution of ruthenium trichloride, the method yielded nanoparticles whose form and size both depended
on the reducing agent: sodium citrate (hexagonal shaped nanocrystals, 1-20 nm), ascorbic acid (spherical nanoparticles, 3-5 nm) and succinic acid (spherical nanoparticles, 1-120 nm). Depending on the reaction variables, the nature and concentration of partially reduced species
determines the characteristics of the final products. HRTEM image analysis along with the simulation techniques were stabilized preferential growth of nanoparticles on specific directions. Ruthenium samples have been investigated by Temperature-Programmed Reduction (TPR) showing that the reduction
temperature of nanoparticles is correlated to their nanocrystalline size.