title: Microfluidic synthesis and catalytic application of PVP-stabilized, approximately 1 nm gold clusters.
abstract: Small PVP-stabilized gold clusters were successfully prepared by the homogeneous mixing of continuous flows of aqueous AuCl 4 (-) and BH 4 (-) in a micromixer. Spectroscopic characterization revealed that microfluidic synthesis could yield monodisperse Au:PVP clusters with an average diameter of approximately 1 nm, which is smaller than clusters produced by conventional batch methods. These approximately 1 nm Au:PVP clusters exhibited higher catalytic activity for the aerobic oxidation of p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol than did Au:PVP clusters prepared by batch methods.
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Hokkaido University, Nishi 10, Kita 21, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan.
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsunoyama
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ichikuni
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsukuda