Porous Ag–Pd triangle nanoplates with tunable alloy ratio for catalyzing electroless copper deposition

Porous triangular Ag–Pd nanoplates of various bimetallic ratios were prepared by a galvanic displacement reaction in which Pd(OAc)2 reacted with Ag nanoplates. In order to reduce the interaction of free hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) with the synthesized Ag–Pd nanoplates during this reaction, Ag nanoplate/CTAB solution was precipitated by high-speed centrifugation before synthesizing the porous bimetallic nanotemplates. The kinetics of electroless copper deposition (ECD) catalyzed by these bimetallic nanoplates are analyzed by using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The results reveal that Ag18Pd1 nanoplates show better catalytic activity than Ag18Pd1.5 and Ag18Pd2 nanoplates. Further, the catalytic activity of the porous nanoplates in the ECD bath can be controlled by varying their alloy ratios.