Visible‐Light‐Induced Electron Transport from Small to Large Nanoparticles in Bimodal Gold Nanoparticle‐Loaded Titanium(IV) Oxide

A key to realizing the sustainable society is to develop highly active photocatalysts for selective organic synthesis effectively using sunlight as the energy source. Recently, metal‐oxide‐supported gold nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as a new type of visible‐light photocatalysts driven by the excitation of localized surface plasmon resonance of Au NPs. Here we show that visible‐light irradiation (λ>430 nm) of TiO₂‐supported Au NPs with a bimodal size distribution (BM‐Au/TiO₂) gives rise to the long‐range (>40 nm) electron transport from about 14 small (ca. 2 nm) Au NPs to one large (ca. 9 nm) Au NP through the conduction band of TiO₂. As a result of the enhancement of charge separation, BM‐Au/TiO₂ exhibits a high level of visible‐light activity for the one‐step synthesis of azobenzenes from nitrobenzenes at 25 °C with a yield greater than 95 % and a selectivity greater than 99 %, whereas unimodal Au/TiO₂ (UM‐Au/TiO₂) is photocatalytically inactive.     

C-X（X = Cl，Br，I）键解离能作为烧结Au/AC催化剂再分散的描述因子及相关蕴意

负载型 Au基催化剂在工业过程中具有非常广泛的潜在应用,如催化加氢/脱氢过程、精细化学品合成、能源催化转化及环境保护等过程,表现出很高的催化活性和选择性. Au基催化剂活性物种或活性中心基本由纳米粒子或化合物构成,但在应用过程中因 Ostwald熟化效应或粒子迁移作用,尤其是高温高压等苛刻反应条件下,均随应用时间延长从小尺寸粒子逐渐长为大粒子,造成活性降低或完全失活,这也是负载型催化剂失活的最主要原因之一.其中因成本、稀缺等特性,负载型 Au催化剂的烧结问题是影响和制约其应用的主要因素.除可通过载体改性、助剂和官能团配位稳定等方法来延缓其失活过程外,对已烧结催化剂的高效、快捷和绿色的再分散/再生过程也具有基础和应用研究的重要意义.活性炭载 Au催化剂(Au/AC)广泛应用于乙炔氢氯化反应中,以期替代高毒性的汞基催化剂,但在反应过程中因高活性的 Au3+物种易被还原而形成 Au0物种进而烧结导致失活;如新鲜 Au/AC催化剂表面的 Au粒子尺寸为1-2 nm,经乙炔氢氯化反应后变为33 nm左右;随之在453 K、0.1 MPa、乙炔体积空速(GHSV)为600 h-1、氯化氢与乙炔摩尔比为1.1的反应条件下,乙炔转化率从81.8%降至11.2%.如何有效对大粒子 Au再分散/再生可为其应用提供有力支撑.有研究表明,气相 CH3I在甲醇羰基化反应过程中明显改变 Au/AC表面的 Au粒子尺寸;或采用浓盐酸或王水也可将烧结的 Au/AC催化剂进行再分散/再生.但已有的 Au基催化剂再分散/再生过程均伴随着强酸、强氧化或高毒性在分散剂的应用,对环境的影响及后续处理有明显的局限性,且再分散机理尚不明确.在前期工作基础上,本文采用系列卤代烃(碘代烃、溴代烃和氯代烃)对烧结的 Au/AC进行再分散/再生研究.结果表明,在室温常压条件下 CHI3可以快捷高效地对烧结 Au/AC催化剂进行再分散/再生,具有最优的再分散性能;通过对系列碘代烃 C-I键的解离能分析,发现 C-I解离能越低越有利于大粒子 Au的再分散.同时,溴代烃和氯代烃对烧结的 Au/AC催化剂也具有再分散能力,但比碘代烃的再分散效率低. C-X键的解离能与再分散效率有高相关性,即 C-X键的解离能越低越有利于 Au的再分散.总体上,三类卤代烃再分散效率高低顺序为 C-I＞C-Br＞C-Cl.进而,通过不同分散过程中 Au粒子分散状态推测了卤代烃对 Au粒子的再分散机理,即卤代烃先在 Au粒子表面化学吸附,然后 C-X键解离,形成 Au-X物种,小粒子 Au在 AC表面聚集并稳定,最后形成高分散 Au粒子(粒径<1 nm)催化剂.以乙炔氢氯化反应考察了再生 Au/AC催化剂性能,结果表明,该催化剂上乙炔转化率可达79.4%,基本恢复至初始水平,且该方法可对失活催化剂进行多次高效再生.     

Controlling the Selectivity of the Surface Plasmon Resonance Mediated Oxidation of p‐Aminothiophenol on Au Nanoparticles by Charge Transfer from UV‐excited TiO2

Although catalytic processes mediated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) excitation have emerged as a new frontier in catalysis, the selectivity of these processes remains poorly understood. Here, the selectivity of the SPR‐mediated oxidation of p‐aminothiophenol (PATP) employing Au NPs as catalysts was controlled by the choice of catalysts (Au or TiO₂‐Au NPs) and by the modulation of the charge transfer from UV‐excited TiO₂ to Au. When Au NPs were employed as catalyst, the SPR‐mediated oxidation of PATP yielded p,p‐dimercaptobenzene (DMAB). When TiO₂‐Au NPs were employed as catalysts under both UV illumination and SPR excitation, p‐nitrophenol (PNTP) was formed from PATP in a single step. Interestingly, PNTP molecules were further reduced to DMAB after the UV illumination was removed. Our data show that control over charge‐transfer processes may play an important role to tune activity, product formation, and selectivity in SPR‐mediated catalytic processes.     

Photoassisted Synthesis of Luminescent Mannose–Au Nanodots for the Detection of Thyroglobulin in Serum

We have employed mannose‐modified gold nanodots (Man–Au NDs) as a luminescence sensor for the detection of the thyroid‐cancer marker thyroglobulin (Tg) in homogeneous solutions. The luminescent Man–Au NDs are prepared through the reaction of 2.9 nm‐diameter gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with 11‐mercapto‐3,6,9‐trioxaundecyl‐α‐D ‐mannopyranoside (Man‐RSH) under the irradiation of a light‐emitting diode (LED). We have found that the irradiation enhances the quantum yield (～11 %), alters the emission wavelength and lifetimes, and shortens the preparation time. A luminescence assay has been developed for Tg based on the competition between Tg and Man–Au NDs for the interaction with the concanavalin A (Con A). Because luminescence quenching of the Man–Au NDs by Con A is inhibited by Tg selectivity, we have obtained a highly sensitive and selective assay for Tg.     

Extending Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy to Liquids Using Shell-Isolated Plasmonic Superstructures

Plasmonic superstructures (PS) based on Au/SiO₂ were prepared for Shell-Isolated Nanoparticle-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SHINERS) in liquid phase applications. These superstructures are composed of functionalized SiO₂ spheres with plasmonic Au nanoparticles (NPs) on their surface. Functionalization was performed with (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane, (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane and poly(ethylene-imine) (PEI). Of these three, PEI-functionalized spheres showed the highest adsorption density of Au NPs in TEM, UV/Vis and dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments. Upon decreasing the Au NP/SiO₂ sphere size ratio, an increase in adsorption density was also observed. To optimize plasmonic activity, 61 nm Au NPs were adsorbed onto 900 nm SiO₂-PEI spheres and these PS were coated with an ultrathin layer (1–2 nm) of SiO₂ to obtain Shell-Isolated Plasmonic Superstructures (SHIPS), preventing direct contact between Au NPs and the liquid medium. Zeta potential measurements, TEM and SHINERS showed that SiO₂ coating was successful. The detection limit for SHINERS using SHIPS and a 638 nm laser was around 10⁻¹² m of Rhodamine (10⁻¹⁵ m for uncoated PS), all with acquisition settings suitable for catalysis applications.     

Obtaining of hybrid nanocomposites by simultaneous photopolymerization of some urethane monomers and photoinduced formation of gold nanoparticles

Urethane–urea dimethacrylates were synthesized and used in the preparation of nanocomposites containing gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) in situ photogenerated during the UV‐curing process in the absence of reducing agent. A study of the photopolymerization kinetics showed that the photoreactivity of the monomers alone or in combination with a dual urethane benzophenone (BP) macromer is dependent on the nature of photoinitiator (Irgacure819, BP/amine) and the formulation composition. It was found that the addition of 1 wt % AuBr₃ in monomers slightly improved the polymerization rate and the degree of conversion. The formation of Au NPs into the network was confirmed through UV–vis, XRD, EDX, SAXS, and TEM analyses, the last indicating the existence of NPs with size around 8.5 nm and spherical/triangle shapes. On addition of 10 wt % 2[N‐methacryloyloxyethyl‐(N'‐2‐thioethyl)] (urea) in formulation, the Au NPs (200 nm) became predominantly cubic/hexagonal in shape. The composite films emit fluorescence at 575 nm, and this property could be exploited in the field of fluorescent bio/sensors. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 728–738     

Fabrication of Au‐Nanoparticle/TiO2‐Nanotubes Electrodes Using Electrochemical Methods and Their Application for Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Hydroquinone

Gold nanoparticle (Au‐NPs)‐Titanium oxide nanotube (TiO₂‐NTs) electrodes are prepared by using galvanic deposition of gold nanoparticles on TiO₂‐NTs electrodes as support. Scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy results indicate that nanotubular TiO₂ layers consist of individual tubes of about 60–90 nm diameters and gold nanoparticles are well‐dispersed on the surface of TiO₂‐NTs support. The electrooxidation of hydroquinone of Au‐NPs/TiO₂‐NTs electrodes is investigated by different electrochemical methods. Au‐NPs/TiO₂‐NTs electrode can be used repeatedly and exhibits stable electrocatalytic activity for the hydroquinone oxidation. Also, determination of hydroquinone in skin cream using this electrode was evaluated. Results were found to be satisfactory and no matrix effects are observed during the determination of hydroquinone content of the “skin cream” samples.     

A Polymer Solution To Prevent Nanoclustering and Improve the Selectivity of Metal Nanoparticles for Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction

The stability of metal nanocatalysts for electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction is of key importance for practical application. We report the use of two polymeric N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) (polydentate and monodentate) to stabilize metal nanocatalysts (Au and Pd) for efficient CO₂ electroreduction. Compared with other conventional ligands including thiols and amines, metal–carbene bonds that are stable under reductive potentials prevent the nanoclustering of nanoparticles. Au nanocatalysts modified by polymeric NHC ligands show an activity retention of 86 % after CO₂ reduction at ?0.9 V for 11 h, while it is less than 10 % for unmodified Au. We demonstrate that the hydrophobicity of polymer ligands and the enriched surface electron density of metal NPs through σ‐donation of NHCs substantially improve the selectivity for CO₂ reduction over proton.     

Fabrication of Ultrafine Palladium Phosphide Nanoparticles as Highly Active Catalyst for Chemoselective Hydrogenation of Alkynes

Monodisperse palladium phosphide nanoparticles (Pd–P NPs) with a smallest size ever reported of 3.9 nm were fabricated using cheap and stable triphenylphosphine as phosphorous source. After the deposition and calcination at 300 °C and 400 °C, the resulting Pd–P NPs increased in size to 4.0 nm and 4.8 nm, respectively. Notably, the latter NPs probably crystallized with a single phase of Pd₃P_0.95, which acted as a highly active catalyst in semi‐ and stereoselective hydrogenation of alkynes. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis determined a positive shift of binding energy for Pd(3d) in Pd–P NPs compared to that in Pd on carbon. It indicated the electron flow from metal to phosphorus and the larger electron deficiency of Pd in Pd–P NPs, which suppressed palladium hydride formation and subsequently increased the selectivity. Thus, this result may also indicate the applications of Pd–P and other metal–P NPs in various selective hydrogenation reactions.     

Delivery of Highly Active Noble‐Metal Nanoparticles into Microspherical Supports by an Aerosol‐Spray Method

Noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) with 1–5 nm diameter obtained from NaHB₄ reduction possess high catalytic activity. However, they are rarely used directly. This work presents a facile, versatile, and efficient aerosol‐spray approach to deliver noble‐metal NPs into metal oxide supports, while maintaining the size of the NPs and the ability to easily adjust the loading amount. In comparison with the conventional spray approach, the size of the loaded noble‐metal nanoparticles can be significantly decreased. An investigation of the 4‐nitrophenol hydrogenation reaction catalyzed by these materials suggests that the NPs/oxides catalysts have high activity and good endurance. For 1 % Au/CeO₂ and Pd/Al₂O₃ catalysts, the rate constants reach 2.03 and 1.46 min^?1, which is much higher than many other reports with the same noble‐metal loading scale. Besides, the thermal stability of catalysts can be significantly enhanced by modifying the supports. Therefore, this work contributes an efficient method as well as some guidance on how to produce highly active and stable supported noble‐metal catalysts.     

Synthesis, Structure and Growth Mechanism of Size and Shape Tunable Au/Ag Bimetallic Nanoparticles

By simply adding ascorbic acid in advance of AgNO₃, the size and shape controllable Au/Ag bimetallic nanoparticles (NP) were prepared in the traditional Au growth solution free of seed at room temperature. The size distribution of NP is well uniform with ca. 10%–15% standard deviation in diameter. By changing CTAB concentration, the size and shape of NPs are tunable. After researching the surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) behavior of the prepared NPs, an enhancement factor varied from 4.3×10⁴ to 1.1×10⁵ was obtained for the NP centered at ca. (64±8) nm. Electrochemical cyclic voltammetric results revealed that the so formed nanoparticles were Au riched Au/Ag bimetallic NP, and this formation might be due to the disproportionation reaction of Au⁺ prompted by Ag⁺ and the under potential deposition process of Ag⁺ on Au.     

Au Nanowire–Au Nanoparticles Conjugated System which Provides Micrometer Size Molecular Sensors

We report a new type of molecular sensor using a Au nanowire (NW)–Au nanoparticles (NPs) conjugated system. The Au NW–NPs structure is fabricated by the self‐assembly of biotinylated Au NPs on a biotinylated Au NW through avidin; this creates hot spots between NW and NPs that strongly enhance the Raman signal. The number of the Au NPs attached to the NW is reproducibly proportional to the concentration of the avidin, and is also proportional to the measured surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals. Since this well‐defined NW–NPs conjugated sensor is only a few micrometer long, we expect that development of multiplex nanobiosensor of a few tens micrometer size would become feasible by combining individually modified multiple Au NWs together on one substrate.     

SEC Characterization of Au Nanoparticles Prepared through Seed-Assisted Synthesis

In this paper we report the use of size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) for rapid determination of the sizes and size distributions of Au nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by seed-assisted synthesis. Analytical separation of Au NPs was performed in a polymer-based column of pore size 400 nm. We characterized the sizes and size distributions of the Au NPs by using 10 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as mobile phase and obtained a linear relationship (R ² = 0.986) between retention time and size of Au NPs within the range 9.8–79.1 nm; the relative standard deviations of these retention times were less than 0.3%. These separation conditions were used to characterize the sizes and size distributions of Au NPs prepared by seed-assisted synthesis. In addition to observing the elution times of the Au NPs we also simultaneously characterized their size-dependent optical properties by spectral measurement of the eluting peaks by use of an on-line diode-array detector (DAD), i.e., monitoring of the stability of the Au NP products. By using this approach we found the presence of SDS was beneficial in stabilizing the synthesized Au NPs. We also found that the volume of Au metal ions used affected the sizes of the final products. SEC seems an efficient tool for characterizing the sizes of NPs fabricated by seed-assisted synthesis.     

Poly(amic acid) salt‐mediated palladium and platinum nanoparticles as highly active and recyclable catalysts for hydrogenation of nitroarenes in water under ambient conditions

Development of highly active and recyclable catalysts for selective hydrogenation of nitroarenes to amines in water at room temperature is always a challenge in chemical industry. This study reports a facile in situ method for synthesis of ultrafine palladium and platinum nanoparticles (NPs) stabilized by poly (amic acid) salt (PAAS) and their potential as catalysts for hydrogenation of nitroarenes with sodium borohydride or molecular hydrogen as reductant in water at room temperature. In the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol to 4‐aminophenol by sodium borohydride, the activity parameters of PdNPs–PAAS and PtNPs–PAAS catalyst is 6.66 × 10³ and 5.58 × 10³ s^?1 M^?1 respectively. In the hydrogenation of diverse nitroarenes under atmospheric hydrogen pressure, PdNPs–PAAS shows high activity but poor selectivity toward desired amines in some cases, while PtNPs–PAAS shows both high activity and high selectivity for selective hydrogenation of nitroarenes to corresponding anilines. The high efficiency of nanocatalyst is due to the quasi‐homogeneous dispersion of metal NPs and synergistic effects between metal NPs and PAAS. In addition, nanocatalyst can be easily recovered with pH‐sensibility of PAAS and reused at least six times without significant loss of catalytic activities.     

Glutathione Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles as Efficient Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrate for Poly Chlorinated Biphenyl Detection

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are harmful even at trace level in the environment, and they are difficult to detect. This work presents a simple method for preparation of glutathione (GSH) functionalized gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) (GSH-Au NPs) for the detection of PCBs and its isomers based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The prepared Au NPs show the surface plasmon band around 533 nm. The crystallinity and formation of GSH-Au NPs were confirmed by using X-ray diffraction and vibrational studies. Transmission electron microscopic analysis showed the average particle size of GSH-Au NPs is around 16 nm. The morphology of the GSH-Au NPs indicates dumbbell-shaped structures with “hot spots” present. These hot spots increase the SERS activity significantly. Gas chromatography–mass spectrum showed that the soil extract contained PCBs, which, has also been detected using SERS. SERS based detection is simple and powerful for identifying the PCBs, as established here for PCBs in the real soil sample.Hence, from this investigation, a rapid, sensitive, cost-effective sensing method for detecting toxic PCBs in the environment was demonstrated.     

Effect of pH and generation of dendron on single‐step synthesis of gold nanoparticles using PEGylated polyamidoamine dendron in aqueous medium

Three types of PEGylated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrons were synthesized through PEGylation of primary amines at the periphery of second, third, and fourth generation dendrons. Au(III) precursors and the synthesized PEGylated PAMAM dendrons were mixed at various pHs to evaluate the effect of pH on gold nanoparticle (Au NP) synthesis by monitoring the change in surface plasmon resonance. The Au NP synthesis reaction was controlled by pH through the balance between protonated and deprotonated tertiary amines and the reactivity of Au(III) precursors. By using PEGylated PAMAM dendrons with higher generation, the obtained Au NPs had narrow size distribution with small average size because of the limitation of intermolecular space among PEGylated PAMAM dendrons for the growth to Au NP. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 1391–1398, 2010     

Gold/Wüstite Core–shell Nanoparticles: Suppression of Iron Oxidation through the Electron‐Transfer Phenomenon

Plasmonic Au and magnetic Fe are coupled into uniform Au@Fe core–shell nanoparticles (NPs) to confirm that electron transfer occurred from the Au core to the Fe shell. Au NPs synthesized in aqueous medium are used as seeds and coated with an Fe shell. The resulting Au@Fe NPs are characterized by using various analytical techniques. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and superconducting quantum interference device measurements reveal that the Fe shell of the Au@Fe NPs mainly consists of paramagnetic Wüstite with a thin surface oxide layer consisting of maghemite or magnetite. Electron transfer from the Au core to the Fe shell effectively suppresses iron oxidation from Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺ near the interface between the Au and the Fe. The charge‐transfer‐induced electronic modification technique enables us to control the degree of iron oxidation and the resulting magnetic properties.     

Probing the Catalytic Activity of Reduced Graphene Oxide Decorated with Au Nanoparticles Triggered by Visible Light

Hybrid materials in which reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is decorated with Au nanoparticles (rGO–Au NPs) were obtained by the in situ reduction of GO and AuCl₄^?_(aq) by ascorbic acid. On laser excitation, rGO could be oxidized as a result of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) excitation in the Au NPs, which generates activated O₂ through the transfer of SPR‐excited hot electrons to O₂ molecules adsorbed from air. The SPR‐mediated catalytic oxidation of p‐aminothiophenol (PATP) to p,p′‐dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB) was then employed as a model reaction to probe the effect of rGO as a support for Au NPs on their SPR‐mediated catalytic activities. The increased conversion of PATP to DMAB relative to individual Au NPs indicated that charge‐transfer processes from rGO to Au took place and contributed to improved SPR‐mediated activity. Since the transfer of electrons from Au to adsorbed O₂ molecules is the crucial step for PATP oxidation, in addition to the SPR‐excited hot electrons of Au NPs, the transfer of electrons from rGO to Au contributed to increasing the electron density of Au above the Fermi level and thus the Au‐to‐O₂ charge‐transfer process.     

Polymer‐Supported Bimetallic Ag@AgAu Nanocomposites: Synthesis and Catalytic Properties

Supported noble bimetallic nanomaterials have attracted great interest owing to their applications in catalysis. Herein, polystyrene‐supported Ag@AgAu bimetallic nanocomposites were synthesized by using a seed‐growth route. The size and degree of coverage of the Ag@AgAu NPs could be controlled by changing the experimental parameters. SEM, TEM, STEM, EDS, and XPS analysis was used to characterize the morphology, structure, and composition of these nanocomposites. We found that the bimetallic nanoparticles on the polystyrene beads had a core–shell structure that was comprised of a Ag core and a AgAu alloy shell. The optical properties of the nanocomposites were also studied by UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopy, which indicated that the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorptions of the nanocomposites could be tailored over a large scale from 450 nm to 950 nm. The catalytic properties of the nanocomposites were studied by using the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP) by NaBH₄ as a model system. The results showed that the catalytic activity of the polystyrene‐supported Ag@AgAu bimetallic nanocomposites was remarkably superior to that of polystyrene‐supported monometallic Ag and Au nanocomposites with the same nanoparticle size. In addition, an investigation of the recycling catalytic activity of the PS‐Ag@AgAu nanocomposites revealed that the catalyst possessed good stability. The enhancement of the catalytic activity was proposed to be due to the ligand and strain effects between Ag and Au.     

Colorimetric recognition and sensing of nitrite with unmodified gold nanoparticles based on a specific diazo reaction with phenylenediamine

A colorimetric sensor for nitrite ion with high selectivity and sensitivity by unmodified citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) is presented. Recognition of nitrite is developed on the basis of a highly specific diazo reaction between nitrite and phenylenediamine (PDA). PDA caused the Au NPs to aggregate owing to the strong covalent NH-Au bond, with a clear color change of solution from red to blue being visualized. In the presence of phosphoric acid and nitrite, the amines of PDA would readily be converted to diazo bonds, and a red solution was observed after the subsequent addition of Au suspension due to the much less strength of electrostatic interaction between the positive diazo groups and the negative citrate-capped Au NPs. With this colorimetric "light-up" method, <1 ppm of nitrite can be easily detected within 5 min at room temperature without instrumentation. Since the diazo reaction and the colorimetric response are separate, this approach features the use of pristine Au NPs in an assay where acidic environment is a necessity, making it a more convenient and cost-effective method for the sensing of nitrite when compared with those utilizing chemically modified Au NPs.