RuO2 Coatings

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an article having: a substrate and a RuO 2 coating having nanoparticles of RuO 2 . Also disclosed herein is an article having: a substrate and a RuO 2 coating. The coating is made by: immersing the substrate in a solution of RuO 4 and a nonpolar solvent at a temperature that is below the temperature at which RuO 4 decomposes to RuO 2 and warming the substrate and solution to ambient temperature under ambient conditions to cause the formation of the coating.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article comprising:
 a substrate; and   a RuO 2  coating on a portion of the substrate;
 wherein the coating is made by a method comprising: 
 immersing the substrate in a solution of RuO 4  and a nonpolar solvent at a temperature that is below the temperature at which RuO 4  decomposes to RuO 2  in the nonpolar solvent in the presence of the substrate; and 
 warming the substrate and solution to ambient temperature under ambient conditions to cause the formation of the coating. 
   
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is planar. 
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is not opaque. 
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the method of making the coating further comprises:
 heating the coating to a maximum temperature from 150° C. to 250° C.   
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the method of making the coating further comprises:
 repeating the immersing and the warming of the substrate are repeated one or more times to form more than one RuO 2  layer in the coating.   
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the nonpolar solvent is petroleum ether. 
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the method of making the coating further comprises:
 extracting the RuO 4  from an aqueous solution into the nonpolar solvent before immersing the substrate in the RuO 4  solution.