Electronic and chemical properties of supported Au nanoparticles

Oxidation and reduction behaviors of Au nanoparticles with different sizes on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and silica were studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). For Au nanoparticles smaller than 6 nm in diameter, we found a novel oxygen species formed in Au nanoparticles, which is absent in larger particles and Au bulk crystals. This new oxygen species is attributed to the subsurface oxygen: for a complete understanding of the structures of catalytically active Au, the new oxygen species should be taken into account. In this context, it is worth mentioning that the subsurface oxygen species has been suggested to play an important role in heterogeneous catalysis. With decreasing Au particle size, a positive core level shift can be observed, which can be mostly attributed to the final state effects. Increase of the number of undercoordinated atoms with decreasing particle size is evidenced by a reduced splitting between 5d_3/2 and 5d_5/2 states and a band narrowing. Our results on electronic structures of Au nanoparticles on silica are compared to those on other substrates such as zirconia and titania to shed light onto the metal-support interactions.     

Model catalysts of supported Au nanoparticles and mass-selected clusters

In surface science, much effort has gone into obtaining a deeper understanding of the size-selectivity of nanocatalysts. In this article, electronic and chemical properties of various model catalysts consisting of Au are reported. Au supported by oxide surfaces becomes inert towards chemisorption and oxidation as the particle size became smaller than a critical size (2-3 nm). The inertness of these small Au nanoparticles is due to the electron-deficient nature of smaller Au nanoparticles, which is a result of metal-substrate charge transfer. Properties of Au clusters smaller than ～20 atoms were shown to be non-scalable, i.e., every atom can drastically change the chemical properties of the clusters. Moreover, clusters with the same size can show dissimilar properties on various substrates. These recent endeavours show that the activity of a catalyst can be tuned by varying the substrate or by varying the cluster size on an atom-by-atom basis.     

Catalytic activity of supported Au nanoparticles deposited from block copolymer micelles

Quasi-ordered, highly dispersed, gold nanoclusters of tightly controlled particle size were synthesized by dip-coating substrates with gold precursors encapsulated by block-copolymer micelles. By this method, gold particles (4.8 +/- 1.3 nm) were deposited on ITO-coated glass and shown to be catalytically active for electro-oxidation of carbon monoxide. XPS confirmed the catalytically active particles were predominantly Au0; however, a large fraction existed as Au3+. Whereas bulk gold is inert, these results demonstrate that catalytically active Au nanoparticles can be derived from micelle encapsulation.     

Photoinduced dissolution and redeposition of Au nanoparticles supported on TiO2

Au particles (mean size ca. 3 nm) supported on TiO(2) particles were irradiated by UV light (>300 nm) in aqueous solutions at 278 K. Photo-induced dissolution of Au nanoparticles followed by redeposition occurred in aqueous solutions containing halogen ions. The dissolution of Au nanoparticles yielded a Au(III) complex with a halogen ion; subsequent reduction of the Au(III) complex caused precipitation of larger Au particles on TiO(2).     

Direct propylene epoxidation on chemically reduced Au nanoparticles supported on titania

A highly selective titania supported propylene epoxidation catalyst was synthesized from chemically reduced, thiol capped, gold nanoparticles, and characterized by TEM and XPS.     

Toluene total oxidation over Pd and Au nanoparticles supported on hydroxyapatite

The total oxidation of toluene was carried out in a series of catalytic systems composed of either palladium or gold, as active phase, with hydroxyapatite as supports. The influence of different parameters on the catalytic reactivity was investigated: the type of support, the active phase content, the preparation method, and the nature of the active phase. Hydroxyapatite supports, impregnated by the active phase, showed better reactivities than that of the classical alumina one. Moreover, low palladium content (0.25 wt%) is enough to get high toluene conversions at low temperatures. Two preparation methods were used to introduce the active phase on the support: the conventional wet impregnation and the nanoparticle deposition achieved by impregnation of a colloidal suspension of the noble metal using the surfactant HEA16Cl. Introducing palladium by either of these methods leads to similar catalytic efficiencies. In addition to this, palladium is much more active than gold, gold was not probably present under the form of highly dispersed nanoparticles. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) evidenced PdO presence on the surface of all our catalysts. Palladium impregnated on apatite by conventional method showed an improvement of catalytic reactivity after 13 h under reacting mixture, probably because of Pd(0) formation besides PdO. As a result and after a literature survey, our catalysts could be classified among the most reactive systems towards total oxidation of toluene.     

Selective modification of the acid-base properties of ceria by supported Au

Au supported on CeO(2) prepared by deposition-precipitation with urea leads to a basic catalyst. Au acts in two ways as surface modifier. First, Au selectively interacts with Ce(4+) cations by either blocking access to or reducing Ce(4+) to Ce(3+). Second, the resulting Au atoms (presumably as Au(+) ions) act as soft, weak Lewis acid sites stabilizing carbanion intermediates and enhancing hydride abstraction in the dehydrogenation of alcohols. In consequence, the thus-synthesized basic catalyst catalyzes the dehydrogenation of propan-2-ol to acetone with high efficiency and without notable deactivation. Additionally, the dehydration pathway of propan-2-ol is eliminated, as Au also quantitatively blocks access to strongly acidic Ce(4+) ions or reduces them to Ce(3+).     

Unravelling the origin of the high-catalytic activity of supported Au: a density-functional theory-based interpretation

Using first principles DF calculations we have studied the structural and catalytic properties of Au supported on TiOx-Mo(112) films. Our theoretical models are consistent with an initial (8 x 2) Mo(112)-Ti2O3 pattern which after Au deposition gives rise to ordered Au films that completely wet the surface. The oxidation of CO on model surfaces at coverage 1, 4/3, and 5/2 ML has been analyzed. The oxidation proceeds through a peroxo-like complex in which molecular oxygen is simultaneously bound to the CO and the surface. The energy barrier computed for a Au coverage of 4/3 ML is found significantly lower in agreement with the unusual high activity observed for this catalyst. The detailed analysis of the geometry and electronic structure provides a fundamental understanding of the reaction.     

Influence of the precipitation agent in the deposition-precipitation on the formation and properties of Au nanoparticles supported on Al2O3

Au nanoparticles supported on Al2O3 were prepared by deposition-precipitation of HAuCl4 with different precipitation agents NaOH and urea. The samples were investigated by means of different characterization techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that depending on the precipitation agent, the Au particles have a different Au-Au coordination number and size after calcination at 523 K. Whereas the use of NaOH leads to the formation of Au nanoparticles with a Au-Au coordination number of 6.7 and a mean diameter below 2 nm, those prepared with urea have a mean size of 3.1 nm. The Au-Au coordination number could be determined as 8.6. At the smaller particles obtained with NaOH, hints for Au-O interactions were found. For these particles TEM results advise a rather flat lenticular morphology. Different deposition mechanisms depending on the precipitation agent are discussed as the reason for the formation of nanoparticles with different shapes, sizes, and valence states.     

On the validity of Langmuir adsorption on supported nanoparticles

The general form for adsorption on nanoparticles is presented. Conditions for the validity of Langmuir adsorption isotherm for supported nanoparticles are discussed.     

Catalytic properties of silver nanoparticles supported on silica spheres

In this work, we investigate the catalytic properties of silver nanoparticles supported on silica spheres. The technique to support silver particles on silica spheres effectively avoids flocculation of nanosized colloidal metal particles during a catalytic process in the solution, which allows one to carry out the successful catalytic reduction of dyes. The effects of electrolytes and surfactants on the catalytic properties of silver particles on silica have been investigated. It is found that the presence of surfactants depresses the catalytic activity of the silver particles to some extent by inhibiting the adsorption of reactants onto the surface of the particles. Electrolytes either increase the migration rate of reactants in the solution resulting in an increase in the catalytic reaction rate or inhibit the adsorption of reactants onto the surface of the silver particles leading to a loss in the activity of the metal particles.     

Catalytic properties of supported gold nanoparticles in organic syntheses

Gold nanoparticles exhibit unique properties due to their ability to form aggregates of atoms of diverse morphology shapes and sizes of which depend, to a considerable extent, on specific features of the nearest environment. The nature of gold nanoparticles varies in a wide range: from the particles with pronounced Lewis acidic properties to the negatively charged particles bearing a formal zero-valence charge. The most examples of new reactions catalyzed by gold nanoparticles include unsaturated compounds and strong nucleophiles (such as amines) as substrates. This short review provides a digest of the catalytic properties of gold nanoparticles. The main attention is paid to the possible role of certain forms of the metal in catalytic reactions. Of special interest are reactions in which effects of synergism of gold and other active species or second metals present in the catalyst are revealed or a size effect is established.     

Interaction of cobalt with ceria thin films and its influence on supported Au nanoparticles

The interaction of Co with ceria thin films and its influence on the sintering behavior of Au were investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy(STM), synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy(SRPES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS). The strong interaction between Co and CeO_2(111) leads to oxidation of Co to Co~(2+) at 300 K, accompanied by partial reduction of ceria surface at low Co coverages. Subsequent Co deposition results in an increasing fraction of metallic Co. Annealing to high temperatures induces Co~(2+)ions diffuse into the CeO_2 film, while the small metallic Co islands agglomerate into larger ones. The bimetallic Co–Au particles were prepared by deposition of Au on the existing Co particles on ceria surfaces. The sintering behavior of Co–Au bimetallic surfaces is found to be highly determined by the stoichiometry of ceria supports. The addition of Co to the Au/CeO_2 surface suppresses the sintering of Au particles at high temperatures in comparison with that of pure Au particles. However, Au particles are less stable on the Co/CeO_(1.82) layer than on CeO_(1.82) surface.     

On the behaviour of Au plasmonic nanoparticles during hydrogen evolution at p-Si

Brewster Angle Reflectometry (BAR) and spectral photocurrent analysis show that Au nanoparticles are in a resonant state during light-induced hydrogen evolution with unpolarized light near-normal incidence. Keggin-type phosphododecamolybdate (PMo₁₂O₄₀^3?) anions were used as reducing and stabilizing agents to form novel Au nanoparticles (Au-NPs). BAR was employed to analyze the resonant optical response after adsorption to the surface of hydrogen terminated p-Si(111):H (1 × 1) and SiO₂. Proton reduction in 1 M H₂SO₄ occurs at asymmetric Au-NPs where also multipole field effects influence the plasmonic behaviour. In a comparative discussion, the contribution of surface plasmon polariton excitation to the observed pronounced photocurrent enhancement is outlined.     

Electrical and optical properties of zeolite y supported sno2 nanoparticles

 Meso-and nanoporous solids used as supports for highly dispersed metal or semiconductor nanoparticles represent a promising class of materials for potential nanoscale devices. The electrical and optical properties of zeolite Y supported SnO₂ nanoparticles were studied by use of impedance and UV diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. When subjected to reductive and oxidative atmospheres the samples reveal sensitive changes in their properties which are different to that of bulk SnO₂. Received: 18 June 1996 Accepted: 29 August 1996     

Morphology of supported nanoparticles

An short review of the shape of supported nanoparticles is presented. In the first part of this review the basic theoretical concepts governing the shape of crystals are given. The validity of the concepts of equilibrium shape for crystals with nanometer dimensions is discussed as well as the influence of the support. The effect of the growth kinetics on the particle shape is also discussed. In the second part, several examples of metal (Au and Pd) nanoparticles supported on MgO, mica and graphite substrates are given to demonstrate the utility of the main experimental techniques (TEM, STM, AFM, GISAXS) used to observe the morphology of nanocrystals.     

Shell cross-linked Au nanoparticles

The organic layer of thiol-protected Au nanoparticles (ca.3 nm in diameter) was cross-linked using ring-opening metathesis polymerization or Michael addition of polyfunctional amines. The shell cross-linked nanoparticles showed increased stability toward thermal treatment and oxidative etching. The Au core of cross-linked nanoparticles was removed in an attempt to prepare hollow capsules. However, Au etching resulted in insoluble materials.     

Unexpected golden Ullmann reaction catalyzed by Au nanoparticles supported on periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO)

We demonstrated an unprecedented example of Ullmann homocoupling reaction of aryl iodides over a novel recyclable gold catalyst comprising Au nanoparticles supported on a bifunctional periodic mesoporous organosilica (Au@PMO).     

Reduction profiles of supported Ru, Au and Ru?Au

The reduction with hydrogen of Ru, Au and Ru–Au supported catalysts was followed by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The supports used were MgO, SiO₂ and Al₂O₃. The differences in the reduction behavior of both metals on each carrier are correlated with the surface composition of the bimetallic clusters.

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Ru, Au Ru–Au . MgO, SiO₂ Al₂O₃. .

     

Spectral and photochemical properties of tetraphenylporphyrin tetrasulfonate supported on modified montmorillonite nanoparticles

A photocatalyst that effectively sensitizes the oxidation of 9,10-diphenylanthracene in toluene under irradiation with visible light has been prepared by the treatment of cationic surfactant-modified montmorillonite nanoparticles with a solution of meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin. Reaction quantum yields and singlet oxygen generation probability have been determined. The shifts and intensity changes observed for the absorption bands of meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin in the catalyst as compared with aqueous solutions are associated with solvation effects. The meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin triplet state has been detected using the laser photolysis technique, and the rate constant of its quenching by oxygen on the surface of nanoparticles has been measured.