Microwave-assisted synthesis of self-assembly urchin-like ruthenium nanostructures in benzyl alcohol-glycerol mixed solvents

In this study, urchin-like ruthenium nanostructures (Ru NS), with an average size of approximately 30.2 nm, were successfully fabricated by reduction ruthenium chloride (RuCl3) in benzyl alcohol-glycerol mixed solvents, and using Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the stabilizing agent under microwave irradiation for 240 s. The as-synthesized Ru NS were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultra violet-Visible (UV–Vis) absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectra. The results indicated that the as-prepared urchin-like Ru NS were self-assemblies organized by smaller primary nanoparticles with an average size of about 1.7 nm. Some key factors, such as the microwave assisted heating method, and the types of solvents, were identified affecting the successful synthesis of self-assembly urchin-like Ru NS. A possible growth mechanism for the novel Ru structures has been proposed, and the urchin-like Ru NS have been formed through a self-assembly aggregation mechanism driven by an overgrowth mode.