Research Topic: Construction and implementation of a Cocondensation Apparatus

The controlled synthesis and modification of zero valent (transition) metal complexes and nanoparticles by means of conventional synthetic approaches in liquid solvents is very difficult. The cocondensation method tackles this problem by massively improving the kinetic reaction control. By means of resistive heating, a metal is vaporized in a high vacuum chamber where it is allowed to cocondense with a vaporated organic reaction partner on the surface of a liquid nitrogen cooled glass vessel. The method gives reliable and easy access to a lot of interesting compounds and many post synthetic modifications of the products are reported. In our case the aim of this work is to enable an easy access into the synthesis of intermetallic nanoparticles and clusters.

The work is performed in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Ulrich Zenneck from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, whose substantial contributions to the usage of the cocondensation method inspired this work.