The preparation of thermo-responsive palladium catalyst with high activity for electroless nickel deposition

• Published in: Surface & coatings technology Vol. 204; no. 14; pp. 2130 - 2135
• Main Authors: Chen, Wen-Ding, Sung, Yuh, Chang, Chang-Pin, Chen, Yann-Cheng, Ger, Ming-Der
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.04.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Catalyst; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electroless deposition; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Metallic coatings; Metals. Metallurgy; Nanoparticle; Palladium; Physics; Production techniques; Surface treatment; Surface treatments; Palladium; Nanoparticle; Catalyst; Electroless deposition; Nanoparticles; Metal coating; Chemical deposition; Surface treatments; Nickel; Catalyst activity
• ISSN: 0257-8972; 1879-3347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2009.11.038

In this study, a temperature-responsive palladium catalyst for electroless nickel deposition was prepared. The noble metal nanoparticles that was reduced and stabilized by styrene-N-isopropylacrylamide oligomer (St-co-NIPAAm) showed good dispersion and excellent stability in the aqueous solution without surfactant and reductant in the mixture. The catalytic activity of St-co-NIPAAm/Pd is much higher than that of conventional Sn/Pd colloids. It was found from our result that a nickel film with dramatically enhanced adhesion is formed on the PET surface without special pretreatment step, indicating that St-co-NIPAAm was used not only as the adsorption sites for palladium, but also as an adhesion-promoting layer for the electrolessly deposited nickel on the PET surface. The properties of St-co-NIPAAm/Pd nanocomposite and deposition rate of electroless nickel deposition (EN) were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and UV–Vis spectra.