Small⁃size Au nanoparticles anchored on pyrenyl⁃graphdiyne for N_(2)electroreduction

A gold catalyst of Au/pyrenyl‑graphdiyne(Pyr‑GDY)was prepared by anchoring small size of gold nanoparticles(Au NPs)on the surface of Pyr‑GDY for electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction(eNRR),in which Au NPs with a size of approximately 3.69 nm was evenly distributed on spongy‑like porous Pyr‑GDY.The catalyst exhibited a good electrocatalytic activity for N_(2)reduction in a nitrogen‑saturated electrolyte,with an ammonia yield of 32.1μg·h^(-1)·mg_(cat)^(-1)at-0.3 V(vs RHE),3.5 times higher than that of Au/C(Au NPs anchored on carbon black).In addition,Au/Pyr‑GDY showed a Faraday efficiency(FE)of 26.9%for eNRR,and a good catalysis durability for over 22 h.

Three-dimensional hierarchical CuO gas sensor modified by Au nanoparticles

The three-dimensional hierarchical CuO and Au nanoparticles were synthesized by the hydrothermal method, respectively. The hierarchical CuO and the Au nanoparticles samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electronic microscope, respectively. The as-synthesized CuO was assembled regularly from the nanosheets with thickness of 100 nm. The size of Au nanoparticles ranged from 50 to 200 nm. The hierarchical CuO gas sensors modified by different concentration of gold were fabricated. All the Au-loaded CuO gas sensors enhanced the response to ethanol and xylene while reducing the response to methanol, acetone, and formaldehyde. The results indicate that the Au nanoparticles prepared with PVP as surfactant can improve the selectivity of CuO gas sensors to ethanol gas for other common organic volatile gases. The improvement of gas sensing is mainly attributed to the different catalytic efficiency of the Au nanoparticles for different reactions. Meanwhile, the related mechanisms are discussed.

Dispersion of Active Au Nanoparticles on Mesoporous SBA-15 Materials

Chemical modification(CM)and deposition-precipitation(DP)methods were used for the dispersion of active Au nanoparticles on mesoporous silica materials in this work.XRD,TEM,N2 adsorption isotherms and UV-Vis absorption spectra were used to characterize in detail Au-SBA-15 materials prepared by the two methods. The analysis results showed that high loading(1.7%,by mass)and uniform Au nanoparticles(approximately 3 nm) were dispersed in the channels of mesoporous SBA-15 by the CM method.While for the DP method,most of Au nanoparticles with the size of 10—15nm were aggregated outside of the channels of SBA-15 and the actual loading of Au was only 0.38%(by mass).

Green-chemistry Compatible Approach to TiO_2-supported PdAu Bimetallic Nanoparticles for Solvent-free 1-Phenylethanol Oxidation under Mild Conditions

Ti O2-supported Pd Au bimetallic nanoparticles(NPs) with small size and good dispersity were prepared by the room-temperature ionic liquid-assisted bimetal sputtering, which is simple, environmentally friendly, and free of additives and byproducts. Pd/Au atomic ratio can be tuned by controlling the sputtering conditions simply. High catalytic activity was found in Pd Au–NPs–Ti O2 hybrids for solvent-free selective oxidation of 1-phenylethanol using O2 as the oxidant at the low temperature of 50 °C and low pressure of 1 atm. It was found that Pd/Au ratio strongly affected the catalytical activity, and the highest conversion of about 35 % and turnover frequency of about 421 h-1were achieved at 1:1 of Pd/Au atomic ratio. The synergistic effect in Pd Au NPs was also discussed based on the comprehensive characterization results.The present approach may offer an alternative platform for future development of green-chemistry compatible bimetallic nanocatalysts.

Tailoring the surface structures of iron oxide nanorods to support Au nanoparticles for CO oxidation

Iron oxide supported Au nanomaterials are one of the most studied catalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation.Catalytic performance not only critically depends on the size of the supported Au nanoparticles(NPs)but also strongly on the chemical nature of the iron oxide.In this study,Au NPs supported on iron oxide nanorods with different surface properties throughβ-FeOOH annealing,at varying temperatures,were synthesized,and applied in the CO oxidation.Detailed characterizations of the interactions between Au NPs and iron oxides were obtained by X-ray diffraction,transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.The results indicate that the surface hydroxyl group on the Au/FeOOH catalyst,before calcination(Au/FeOOH-fresh),could facilitate the oxygen adsorption and dissociation on positively charged Au,thereby contributing to the low-temperature CO oxidation reactivity.After calcination at 200℃,under air exposure,the chemical state of the supported Au NP on varied iron oxides partly changed from metal cation to Au0,along with the disappearance of the surface OH species.Au/FeOOH with the highest Au0 content exhibits the highest activity in CO oxidation,among the as-synthesized catalysts.Furthermore,good durability in CO oxidation was achieved over the Au/FeOOH catalyst for 12 h without observable deactivation.In addition,the advanced identical-location TEM method was applied to the gas phase reaction to probe the structure evolution of the Au/iron oxide series of the catalysts and support structure.A Au NP size-dependent Ostwald ripening process mediated by the transport of Au(CO)x mobile species under certain reaction conditions is proposed,which offers a new insight into the validity of the structure-performance relationship.

Transient competition between photocatalysis and carrier recombination in TiO_2 nanotube film loaded with Au nanoparticles

Highly ordered TiO2 nanotube array （TNA） films are fabricated by using an anodic oxidation method. Au nanoparticles （NPs） films are decorated onto the top of TNA films with the aid of ion-sputtering and thermal annealing. An enhanced photocatalytic activity under ultraviolet C （UVC, 266 nm） light irradiation is obtained compared with that of the pristine TNA, which is shown by the steady-state photoluminescence （PL） spectra. Furthermore, a distinct blue shift in the nanosecond time-resolved transient photoluminescence （NTRT-PL） spectra is observed. Such a phenomenon could be well explained by considering the competition between the surface photocatalytic process and the recombination of the photo-generated carriers. The enhanced UV photocatalytic activities of the Au-TNA composite are evaluated through photo-degradation of methyl orange （MO） in an aqueous solution with ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrometry. Our current work may provide a simple strategy to synthesize defect-related composite photocatalytic devices.

Surface Plasmon Resonance Enhanced Scattering of Au Colloidal Nanoparticles

Suspended gold nanoparticles have been synthesized via electrochemical method. The strongest resonance scattering peak is at 485 nm, which results from the surface plasmon resonance. When the excited wavelength is at 242 nm (12.4 × 1014 Hz), there have been a 1/2 fraction frequency scattering peak at 485 nm (1/2 × 12.4 × 1014 Hz) and a 1/3 fraction frequency scattering peak at 726 nm (1/3 × 12.4 × 1014 Hz) displayed. Emission spectra with different particle diameters were compared, the intensity of scattering light increases with the particle size. The frequency-dependent scattering average cross section of small particle was calculated from Mie theory. The model calculation is in agreement with the experimental results.

Novel Au nanoparticles-inlaid titanium paper for PEM water electrolysis with enhanced interfacial electrical conductivity

Proton-exchange membrane water electrolysis(PEM WE)is a particularly promising technology for renewable hydrogen produc-tion.However,the excessive passivation of the gas diffusion layer(GDL)will seriously affect the high surface-contact resistance and result in energy losses.Thus,a mechanism for improving the conductivity and interface stability of the GDL is an urgent issue.In this work,we have prepared a hydrophilic and corrosion resistant conductive composite protective coating.The polydopamine(PDA)film on the Ti surface,which was obtained via the solution oxidation method,ensured that neither micropores nor pinholes existed in the final hybrid coatings.In-situ reduced gold nanoparticles(AuNPs)improved the conductivity to achieve the desired interfacial contact resistance and further enhanced the corrosion resistance.The surface composition of the treated samples was investigated using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmis-sion electron microscopy(TEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR).The results indicated that the optimized reaction conditions included a pH value of 3 of HAuCl_(4) solution with PDA deposition(48 h)on papers and revealed the lowest con-tact resistance(0.5 mΩ·cm^(2))and corrosion resistance(0.001μA·cm^(−2))in a 0.5 M H_(2)SO_(4)+2 ppm F−solution(1.7 V vs.RHE)among all the modified specimens,where RHE represents reversible hydrogen electrode.These findings indicated that the Au-PDA coating is very appropriate for the modification of Ti GDLs in PEM WE systems.

Synthesis of Ni@Au Core-shell Nanoparticles and Its Applications in Ullmann Reaction as a Synergistic Catalyst

The Ni@Au core-shell nanoparticles had been successfully synthesized from aqueous solution by one-step route at room temperature. The Ni@Au nanoparticles can be an excellent catalyst for Ullmann reaction. The advantage of Ni@Au is that the catalyst does not need additional reducing agents. The Au shell can effectively protect the Ni core from oxidation. The Ni core and Au shell have both composited in structure and cooperated in function.

Improved hydrogen oxidation reaction under alkaline conditions by Au–Pt alloy nanoparticles

This work demonstrates the outstanding performance of alloyed Au1 Pt1 nanoparticles on hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)in alkaline solution.Due to the weakened hydrogen binding energy caused by uniform incorporation of Au,the alloyed Au1Pt1/C nanoparticles exhibit superior HOR activity than commercial PtRu/C.On the contrary,the catalytic performance of the phase-segregated Au2Pt1/C and Au1Pt1/C bimetallic nanoparticles in HOR is significantly worse.Moreover,Au1Pt1/C shows a remarkable durability with activity dropping only 4% after 3000 CV cycles,while performance attenuation of commercial PtRu/C is high up to 15% under the same condition.Our results indicate that the alloyed Au1Pt1/C is a promising candidate to substitute commercial PtRu/C for hydrogen oxidation reaction in alkaline electrolyte.

Direct Electrochemistry and Electrocatalysis of Hemoglobin at PAMAM Dendrimer-MWNTs-Au Nanoparticles Composite Film Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

The direct electron transfer of hemoglobin at the PAMAM-MWNTs-AuNPs composite film modified glassy carbon electrode was studied. In a phosphate buffer solution（PBS, pH=7.0）, the formal potential（E^0） of Hb was -0.105 V versus SCE, the electron transfer rate constant was 4.66 s-1. E^0＇ of Hb at the modified electrode was linearly varied in a pH range of 5.0-8.0 with a slope of-49.2 mV/pH. The Hb/PAMAM-MWNTs-AuNPs/GCE gave an excellent electrocatalytic response to the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. The catalytic current increased linearly with H2O2 concentration in a range of 1.0× 10^-6 to 2.2× 10^-3 mol/L. The detection limit was 2.0× 10^-7 mol/L at a signal to noise ratio of 3. The Michaelis-Menten constant（Km^app） was 2.95 mmol/L.

The enhancement of 21.2%-power conversion efficiency in polymer photovoltaic cells by using mixed Au nanoparticles with a wide absorption spectrum of 400 nm–1000 nm

Au nanoparticles （NPs） mixed with a majority of bone-like, rod, and cube shapes and a minority of irregu- lar spheres, which can generate a wide absorption spectrum of 400 nm-1000 nm and three localized surface plas- mon resonance peaks, respectively, at 525, 575, and 775 nrn, are introduced into the hole extraction layer poly（3,4- ethylenedioxythiophene）：poly（4-styrenesulfonate） （PEDOT：PSS） to improve optical-to-electrical conversion performances in polymer photovoltaic ceils. With the doping concentration of Au NPs optimized, the cell performance is significantly improved： the short-circuit current density and power conversion efficiency of the poly（3-hexylthiophene）： [6,6]-phenyl- C60-butyric acid methyl ester cell are increased by 20.54% and 21.2%, reaching 11.15 mA.cm-2 and 4.23%. The variations of optical, electrical, and morphology with the incorporation of Au NPs in the cells are analyzed in detail, and our results demonstrate that the cell performance improvement can be attributed to a synergistic reaction, including： 1） both the local- ized surface plasmon resonanceand scattering-induced absorption enhancement of the active layer, 2） Au doping-induced hole transport/extraction ability enhancement, and 3） large interface roughness-induced efficient exciton dissociation and hole collection.

Microwave Synthesis of Au Nanoparticles with the System of AuCl_4-CH_3CH_2OH

The Au nanoparticles has been prepared by microwave high-pressure procedure with alcohol as the reducing agent. The color of colloidal Au nanoparticles is blue-violet. The maximum absorption spectrum of colloidal Au is at 580 nm, and the resonance scattering peak is at 580 nm. Using this method, the colloidal Au of long-time stability can be prepared Simply and quickly.

Highly Sensitive SnO_2 Nanorods Ethanol Sensors with the Adsorption of Au Nanoparticles

Flower-liked SnO_2 nanorods were prepared by a hydrothermal method.The sensors were fabricated using SnO_2 nanorods adsorption of Au nanoparticles through sputtering deposition.We found that the loading of a small amount of Au nanoparticles on the surface of SnO_2 nanorods can effectively enhance and functionalize the gas sensing performance of SnO_2 nanorods,which due to the Au adsorption make the surface-depletion effect more pronounced.Such enhanced surface depletion increases the sensitivity,lowers the operation temperature and decreases the response time.

Au-nanocluster-loaded human serum albumin nanoparticles with enhanced cellular uptake for fluorescent imaging

Protein-directed fluorescent Au nanoclusters have been widely studied owing to their potential applications in sensing,imaging,and drug and gene delivery.However,the use of nanoclusters in drug delivery is limited by low cellular uptake.In this study,human serum albumin-directed Au nanoclusters served as building blocks to obtain protein nanoparticles by desolvation.The nanoparticles had a decent quantum yield(QY),high colloidal stability and low cytotoxicity,and they could be readily conjugated with biological molecules.The cellular uptake of the Au nanoclusters and nanocluster-loaded protein nanoparticles were studied by confocal fluorescence microscopy.Agglomeration of the protein-directed Au nanoclusters into 50–150-nm nanoparticles dramatically increased the cellular uptake.

Preparation and Catalytic Performance of Microporous Polymer/Au Nanoparticles Composite Microspheres

Polystyrene crosslinked microspheres were prepared by soap-free emulsion polymerization using styrene (St) and divinylbenzene (DVB) as monomers;then,the microporous structure was knitted by the Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction,and the Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) were loaded into the pores through thermal reduction,to obtain AuNPs/ hyper-crosslinked microporous polymer composite microspheres.SEM and particle-size test results show that the microspheres show good monodispersity.The micropore analysis indicates that the specific surface area and the pore volume of the microporous polymer microspheres decrease with increasing DVB content,and when the DVB content is 0.1%,the specific surface area reaches a maximum of 1 174.6 m2/g.After loading AuNPs,the specific surface area and the amount of micropores of the composite microspheres decrease obviously.The results of XRD and XPS analyses suggest that HAuCl4 is reduced to AuNPs.The composite microspheres show a good catalytic performance for the reduction catalyst of 4-nitrophenol.

Optical Nonlinearity of Surface Plasmon Resonance Emission from Au Colloidal Nanoparticles

Suspended gold nanoparticles have been synthesized via electrochemical method.Fluorescence excitation and emission spectra were obtained using a spectrofluorophotometer.With varying the excitation wavelength,an emission peak fixed at 485 nm has always been observed.We believe that this peak is attributed to the surface plasmon resonance.When the detection wavelength was fixed at 485 nm (0.619×10 15 Hz),a double frequency exciting peak at 242 nm(2×0.619×10 15 Hz), a 3/2 fraction frequency exciting peak at 330 nm (about 3/2×0.619×10 15 Hz)and a 3/4 fraction frequency exciting peak at 640 nm(3/4×0.619×10 15 Hz)display.The nonlinear exciting peak at 640 nm corresponds to the two-photon absorption.Therefore,as the excitation wavelength is at 320 and 640 nm respectively,single-photon and two-photon absorption induced surface plasmon resonance emission peaks were observed. These nonlinear surface plasmon resonance emission characters of Au colloidal nanoparticles make it possible to enhance the sensitivity of conventional surface plasmon resonance device.

Synthesis and properties of Au-Fe_3O_4 and Ag-Fe_3O_4 heterodimeric nanoparticles

Monodisperse Au-Fe3O4 heterodimeric nanoparticles （NPs） were prepared by injecting precursors into a hot reaction solution. The size of Au and Fe3O4 particles can be controlled by changing the injection temperature. UVis spectra show that the surface plasma resonance band of Au-Fe3O4 heterodimeric NPs was evidently red-shifted compared with the resonance band of Au NPs of similar size. The as-prepared heterodimeric Au-Fe3O4 NPs exhibited superparamagnetic properties at room temperature. The Ag-Fe3O4 heterodimeric NPs were also prepared by this synthetic method simply using AgNO3 as precursor instead of HAuCl4. It is indicated that the reported method can be readily extended to the synthesis of other noble metal conjugated heterodimeric NPs.

Au@α-Fe_(2)O_(3)纳米棒的制备及光催化性能

本工作通过水热法与磁控溅射法结合成功构建了表面均匀沉积纳米Au粒子的α-Fe_(2)O_(3)(Au@α-Fe_(2)O_(3))纳米棒,纳米Au粒子的负载量和形态分别由磁控溅射时间和热处理温度调控。在沉积5.1%的纳米Au粒子后,因纳米Au的表面等离子体共振(SPR)效应,Au@α-Fe_(2)O_(3)纳米棒在550 nm处出现了一个新的吸收峰,其带隙由2.20 eV变窄至1.95 eV。Au@α-Fe_(2)O_(3)纳米棒的荧光强度和电化学阻抗显著降低,光电流从0.27μA·cm^(-2)增大至0.45μA·cm^(-2)。纳米Au粒子既拓宽了Au@α-Fe_(2)O_(3)纳米棒的可见光吸收性能,又抑制了电子-空穴对的复合。与α-Fe_(2)O_(3)纳米棒相比,Au@α-Fe_(2)O_(3)纳米棒的光催化性能变得更加稳定,Au@α-Fe_(2)O_(3)纳米棒的光催化效率提高约一倍。

Facet-dependent anchoring of gold nanoparticles on TiO2 for CO oxidation

The interfacial perimeter of gold nanocatalysts is popularly viewed as the active sites for a number of chemical reactions,while the geometrical structure of the interface at atomic scale is less known.Here,TiO2-nanosheets and nanospindles were adapted to accommodate Au particles(~2.2 nm),forming Au-TiO2{001}and Au-TiO2{101}interfaces.Upon calcination at 623 K in air,HAADF-STEM images evidenced that the Au particles on TiO2{101}enlarged to 3.1 nm and these on TiO2{001}remained unchanged,suggesting the stronger metal-support interaction on TiO2{001}.Au/TiO2{001}was more active for CO oxidation than Au/TiO2{101}system.