Deposition of silver nanoparticles into porous system of sol–gel silica monoliths and properties of silver/porous silica composites

Porous monolithic gels based on silica with pore size from 16 nm to 3–5 μm have been synthesized using sol–gel technology. Parameters of porous structure are determined by the components molar ratio in the reaction mixture. The reduction processes of silver ions by formamide in the synthesized porous gel were studied. It has been shown that at the initial stage of the reaction, silver particles with size up to 10 nm are formed in the absence of any stabilizers. The composites Ag/SiO₂ were synthesized by means of the threefold impregnation of porous monoliths using the solution of silver nitrate in the mixture of methanol and formamide. Their catalytic activity in the CO oxidation was studied. It was discovered that after activation in oxygen and hydrogen the samples display a low temperature activity, which depends on the number of Si–O-nonbridging oxygen groups on the surface of silica porous monoliths.     

Effect of transition metal oxide additives on the activity of an Ag/SiO2 catalyst in carbon monoxide oxidation

The catalysts of silver supported on mesoporous silica modified with Co₃O₄, CeO₂, and ZrO₂ were prepared by an impregnation method; characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, temperature-programmed reduction, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption; and studied in a model reaction of CO oxidation. It was found that the Ag/SiO₂ system exhibited high activity in the reaction of CO oxidation, and the addition of transition metal oxides led to reduction of the temperature of 50% CO conversion by 40°C. The modification of Ag/SiO₂ with cerium dioxide was found most effective because of the interaction of silver particles and CeO₂ on the surface of silica gel.     

Reversible oxidation/reduction of silver supported on silica aerogel: Influence of the addition of phosphate

Ag/SiO₂ and Ag₃PO₄/SiO₂ systems supported on silica aerogel were investigated using temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), and infrared spectroscopy. The formation of highly dispersed silver particles, uniformly distributed along the surface and stabilized with silanol groups, was observed for Ag/SiO₂ system. Phosphate and silanol groups produce two states of silver localization in phosphate-containing system. The addition of phosphate onto the silica surface leads to the reversible oxidation/reduction of silver in the temperature range of 100–300°C with transitions of silver (particles 10–30 nm in size) to charged states (ions, clusters stabilized by phosphate groups). This reversible behavior of silver is stable, and the amount of silver involved in these processes remained constant (∼50%) for the series of consistent cyclic oxidation/reduction treatments.     

Investigation of CO and formaldehyde oxidation over mesoporous Ag/Co3O4 catalysts

CO and formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation reactions were investigated over mesoporous Ag/Co₃O₄ catalysts prepared by one-pot (OP) and impregnation (IM) methods. It was found that the one-pot method was superior to the impregnation method for synthesizing Ag/Co₃O₄ catalysts with high activity for both reactions. It was also found that the catalytic behavior of mesoporous Co₃O₄ and Ag/Co₃O₄ catalysts for the both reactions was different. And the addition of silver on mesoporous Co₃O₄ did not always enhance the catalytic activity of final catalyst for CO oxidation at room temperature (20 °C), but could significantly improve the catalytic activity of final catalyst for HCHO oxidation at low temperature (90 °C). The high surface area, uniform pore structure and the pretty good dispersion degree of the silver particle should be responsible for the excellent low-temperature CO oxidation activity. However, for HCHO oxidation, the addition of silver played an important role in the activity enhancement. And the silver particle size and the reducibility of Co₃O₄ should be indispensable for the high activity of HCHO oxidation at low temperature.     

The Effect of the Conditions of Catalytic Synthesis of Nanoparticles of Metallic Silver on Their Plasmon Resonance

The formation of nanoparticles of metallic silver in the reduction of Ag⁺ ions catalyzed by colloidal Ag₂S was investigated. It was established that the position of the surface plasmon resonance bands of the Ag nanoparticles is affected by the concentration of the catalyst, its particle size and the amount of particles with the same size, the stabilization conditions, the concentration of Ag⁺ ions, and the temperature at which the process is conducted. An explanation for the spectral changes that occur is proposed.     

Preparation and Antibacterial Effect of Bamboo Charcoal/Ag on Staphylococcus Aureus and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

Bamboo charcoal supporting silver (BC/Ag) was prepared by activation and chemical reduction. The BC/Ag composites were characterized by silver particle size and distribution, silver ion (Ag⁺) release and antibacterial properties. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) showed that the Ag particles were distributed uniformly on the BC matrix. The Ag particle size was found to be less than 150 nm based on TEM. The Ag⁺ release increased initially which was followed by a marginal increase between the 8th and 24th hour. Composites contained higher amounts of silver exhibited a further rise in Ag⁺ release from the 24‐hours of storage in water. The antibacterial effects of the BC/Ag composite powders against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were assessed from the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) method, and an excellent antibacterial performance was discovered.     

Redox reactions of arabinogalactan with silver ions and formation of nanocomposites

Formation of silver nanoparticles in the course of chemical reduction of AgNO₃ with arabinogalactan in aqueous alkaline solution was studied by electronic absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The pH of the solution was found to be the major factor affecting the degree of reduction of Ag⁺ ions. The probable reaction mechanism was discussed. Composites containing up to 58% Ag, with the metal particle size of 7–16 nm, were prepared. The nanoparticle size can be controlled by varying the reactant ratio AgNO₃: arabinogalactan. Chemical modification of arabinogalactan was confirmed by IR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and by TLC.     

Preparation of Cu/SiO2 Catalyst by Solution Exchange of Wet Silica Gel

Structural formation process of Ni/SiO₂ and Cu/SiO₂ catalysts prepared by solution exchange of wet silica gel was investigated. Microstructures of Cu/SiO₂ and Ni/SiO₂ were quite different from each other. In the case of Cu/SiO₂, Cu particles with diameter of ca. 3–5 nm dispersed homogeneously at less Cu content, and the particle size of Cu as well as pore size of silica gel support increased with increasing Cu content. In the Ni/SiO₂, the Ni particles with diameter of ca. 6–10 nm gathered densely to form aggregates in silica matrix resulting in sea-island structure, whereas the size of Ni particle slightly increased with increasing Ni content. The difference in the structure of the metal-silica composites is probably caused by the difference in interaction between silica gel network and metal ions during drying and heating processes.     

Preparation of Silica Microspheres Containing Ag Nanoparticles

Two sol-gel fabrication processes were investigated to make silica spheres containing Ag nanoparticles: (1) a modified Stöber method for silica spheres below 1 m size, and (2) a SiO₂-film formation method on spheres of 3–;7 m size. The spheres were designed to incorporate silver nanoparticles of high ⁽³⁾ in a spherical optical cavity structure for the resonance effect. For the incorporation, interaction between [Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺ ion and Si-OH was important. In the Stöber method, the size of the silica spheres was determined by a charge balance of plus and minus ions on the silica surface. In the film formation method, the capture of Ag complex ion on the silica surface depended on whether the surface was covered with OH groups or not. After doping [Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺ into silica particles or SiO₂ films on the spheres, these ions w ere reduced by NaBH₄ to form silver nanoparticles. From plasma absorption at around 420 nm wavelength and TEM photographs of nanometer-sized silver particles, their formation inside the spherical cavity structures was confirmed.     

大孔-介孔Ag/PDA/MMS复合材料的制备及其催化性能

用双模板法制备了介孔纳米薄膜构筑的毫米级尺寸的大孔-介孔SiO₂(MMS)，通过多巴胺(DA)在其孔道表面氧化自聚合成聚多巴胺(PDA)，得到 PDA 修饰的 MMS(PDA/MMS)，再经 PDA 原位还原 Ag⁺制得大孔-介孔 Ag/PDA/MMS 复合材料。应用扫描电镜、透射电镜、N₂吸附-脱附、X射线光电子能谱、X射线衍射、UV-Vis、FT-IR和热重技术对所制得的材料进行表征。结果表明，MMS兼具纳米介孔材料和宏观尺寸大孔材料的优点。Ag/PDA/MMS在催化还原对硝基苯酚(4-NP)反应中展现出高催化活性，转化频率(TOF)达2.97 min^-1。这归因于其独特的结构：相互连通的大孔孔道大大降低了传质阻力，短孔道的介孔显著增加了活性位点的可达性，大的比表面积为反应物提供了大量的活性位点。而且，毫米级尺寸的Ag/PDA/MMS可以很容易从反应体系中分离出来，在5次循环后仍能将4-NP完全转化为对氨基苯酚(4-AP)。另外，Ag/PDA/MMS对亚甲基蓝(MB)的还原也有良好的催化效果。     

铁、钴或镍助剂促进的 Ag/SiO2 催化剂上气相催化合成 3-甲基吲哚

 将铁、钴或镍促进的 Ag/SiO2 催化剂用于苯胺和 1,2-丙二醇气相催化合成 3-甲基吲哚的反应中, 并采用 X 射线衍射、H2-程序升温还原和热重分析等技术对催化剂进行了表征. 结果表明, 铁或镍助剂的加入有助于提高 Ag/SiO2 催化剂的选择性. 其中, 铁的加入能增强活性组分银与载体间相互作用, 大大促进了银在载体表面上的分散, 使催化剂的初活性显著提高. 而钴或镍的加入虽然能略微减少反应过程中 Ag/SiO2 催化剂表面的积炭, 但加剧了银在反应过程中的烧结, 导致催化剂稳定性下降.     

Nanostructured carbon—Ni(OH)2 composites

Deposition of Ni(OH)₂ from an aqueous solution of Ni(N₃)₂ onto highly porous carbon matrices of two types with different porous structure afforded high-purity nanostructured hydroxide—carbon composites with a regular spatial morphology, which are filled with Ni(OH)₂ nanocrystallites (up to 30.9 wt.%) and have high values of specific suface area (up to 1875 m² g^–1) and porosity (up to 2.65 cm³ g^–1). Largeand small-angle X-ray diffraction and low-temperature nitrogen absorption on composites showed that nanocrystallites with a brucite-type layered structure form as plates with a thickness of 2—4 nm and a size along the developed face (001) of 25—30 nm in mesopores and on the outer surface of matrices. The degree of mesopore filling with crystallites depends on the mesopore size and the composition of composites; the micropores remain mainly unfilled. The increase in the hydroxide content results in pore size redistribution: in general, the distribution curves shift in favor of smaller mesopore sizes; the portion of pores with sizes comparable with the thickness of filler nanoplates (3—6 nm), as well as the portion of mid-sized pores (20—30 nm) decrease significantly in favor of smaller pores (8—12 nm). Partial blocking (clogging) of pores with filler nanocrystallites was also observed.     

Synthesis of Ag and Ag/SiO2 sols by solvothermal method and their bactericidal activity

Ag and Ag/SiO₂ sols containing nanocrystalline silver particles can be advantageously prepared by solvothermal methods using an autoclave with conventional thermal or microwave heating. In this process, the reduction of silver salts can be realized with alcohols like ethanol in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone at temperatures of more than 120 °C. Furthermore a combination of silver salt reduction with hydrolysis of alkoxysilanes during the solvothermal process can yield Ag/SiO₂ composite sols. Particle size and crystallinity of as-prepared particles are analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Nanosized silver particles gained by this process exhibit antimicrobial properties that are investigated in detail after application on textile fabrics.     

Ag/PANI/Fe_2O_3复合纳米粒子的合成与催化性能

借助于PANI的还原性质,PANI/Fe2O3复合载体与AgNO3发生表面氧化还原反应,合成了Ag/PANI/Fe2O3复合纳米粒子。TEM和XRD结果表明,立方晶系纳米银的平均粒径10nm。FTIR结果表明,Ag与PANI及Fe2O3复合载体之间不存在化学键合作用,但由于PANI与Ag之间的电子相互作用,Ag/PANI/Fe2O3复合纳米粒子的FTIR吸收峰发生蓝移。Ag/PANI/Fe2O3复合纳米粒子对于间硝基苯磺酸钠的硼氢化钠还原反应表现出良好的催化活性,30min内间硝基苯磺酸钠的转化率达到86.77%。     

大孔-介孔Ag/PDA/MMS复合材料的制备及其催化性能

用双模板法制备了介孔纳米薄膜构筑的毫米级尺寸的大孔-介孔SiO₂(MMS),通过多巴胺(DA)在其孔道表面氧化自聚合成聚多巴胺(PDA),得到PDA修饰的MMS(PDA/MMS),再经PDA原位还原Ag+制得大孔-介孔Ag/PDA/MMS复合材料。应用扫描电镜、透射电镜、N2吸附-脱附、X射线光电子能谱、X射线衍射、UV-Vis、FT-IR和热重技术对所制得的材料进行表征。结果表明,MMS兼具纳米介孔材料和宏观尺寸大孔材料的优点。Ag/PDA/MMS在催化还原对硝基苯酚(4-NP)反应中展现出高催化活性,转化频率(TOF)达2.97 min^-1。这归因于其独特的结构：相互连通的大孔孔道大大降低了传质阻力,短孔道的介孔显著增加了活性位点的可达性,大的比表面积为反应物提供了大量的活性位点。而且,毫米级尺寸的Ag/PDA/MMS可以很容易从反应体系中分离出来,在5次循环后仍能将4-NP完全转化为对氨基苯酚(4-AP)。另外,Ag/PDA/MMS对亚甲基蓝(MB)的还原也有良好的催化效果。     

Preparation of raspberry-like polypyrrole composites with applications in catalysis

Raspberry-like composites were prepared by coating the silver/polypyrrole core/shell composites onto the surface of silica spheres via oxidation polymerization of pyrrole monomer with [Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺ ions as oxidants. The whole process allowed the absence of stabilizers, which greatly improved the quality of the conducting polymer composites. The morphology of the resulting composites was investigated, which can be described as raspberry-like; also, the structure and composition of the composites were characterized in detail. A possible formation mechanism was proposed. The present synthetic strategy substantially extended the scope of metal/conducting polymer composite synthesis. The raspberry-like composites exhibited excellent catalytic properties in the reduction of methylene blue dye with the reducing agent of sodium borohydride.     

Photochemical Preparation of Nanoparticles of Ag in Aqueous-Alcoholic Solutions and on the Surface of Mesoporous Silica

Stable nanoparticle colloids of silver were obtained by irradiation of aqueous-alcoholic solutions of AgNO₃ in the presence of mesoporous SiO₂ powder and films modified with benzophenone (BP/SiO₂). Colloidal solutions of Ludox silica were used to stabilize the photochemically produced nanoparticles of silver in solution. Formation of nanoparticles of Ag on the surface of mesoporous silica occurred on irradiation of SiO₂ modified with silver ions (Ag⁺/SiO₂) in the presence of benzophenone solution.__________Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Eksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 100–104, March–April, 2005.     

Textile with silver silica spheres: its antimicrobial activity against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis>

The aim of this study was to investigate antimicrobial activity of textiles doped with silver in different forms. Three types of textiles were prepared and examined: textiles doped with commercially available Ag nanoparticles, textiles doped with commercial colloidal silver and textiles doped with silver silica SiO₂/Ag spheres. The specimens of silica submicron spheres were synthesized by the sol–gel method as a matrix for biological active silver. The results of microbiological tests revealed that among three kinds of Ag doped textiles only these doped with SiO₂/Ag spheres are bacteriostatically active. During the experiments minimal inhibiting bacteria growth concentration of active SiO₂/Ag spheres added to textiles was determined.     

Facile,single-pot preparation of nanoporous SiO2 particles (carrier) with AgNPs at core and crust for controlled disinfectant release

This study demonstrates a novel, facile and one-pot approach to synthesize silica nanoparticles with silver at core and crust (SiNP-AgCC). A modified Stöber method was used to make SiNP-AgCC. A significant reduction in the size of SiO₂ nanoparticles was seen, with 2–5 nm AgNPs being uniformly distributed on the surface and 10–20 nm AgNPs in the center. A typical mesoporous SiO₂ particle (SiNP) produced using the Stöber method was transformed to nanoporous SiO₂ by this modified Stöber method. Nanoporous SiO₂ particles with silver in the center are advantageous for slow and consistent Ag⁺ release, which was confirmed by Ag⁺ ion release test. Antibacterial activities of the samples were tested to evaluate the disinfection performance of the samples on gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) using disk diffusion and the LB-agar method. SiNP-AgCC showed prolonged silver release for more than 20 days and improved antibacterial properties even after five days of incubation.     

Mesoporous SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> produced by mineralization of yeast cells as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

Mes oporous SiO₂ (yeast-SiO₂/C) was successfully prepared by mineralization of yeast cell template under different pH values. Analysis of the nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms indicated that the pore size distribution of the mesoporous yeast-SiO₂ samples significantly varies depending on the pH value used f or biomineralization. Average pore diameters for the samples synthesized at pH 5.0, 7.0, and 11.0 were found to be 7.9, 17.8, and 9.4 nm, respectively. The mineralization ability of silicon ions can be enhanced using conditions with a higher acidity. The air electrodes fabricated using the yeast-SiO₂ mesoporous composites exhibited remarkable electrocatalytic activity in oxygen reduction reaction under alkaline conditions. The mesoporous sample synthesized at pH 5.0 showed the highest electrocatalytic performance in the oxygen reduction reaction; this sample has the largest surface area and the highest total pore volume. It is supposed that the mesoporous structure of the nanocomposites predetermined by the yeast cell template significantly reduced the electrochemical polarization and improved mass transport in the air diffusion electrode.