A new bio-inspired route to metal-nanoparticle-based heterogeneous catalysts.
Onion-type multilamellar vesicles are made of concentric bilayers of organic surfactant and are mainly known for their potential applications in biotechnology. They can be used as microreactors for the spontaneous and controlled production of metal nanoparticles. This process does not require any thermal treatment and, hence, it is also attractive for material sciences such as heterogeneous catalysis. In this paper, silver-nanoparticle-based catalysts are prepared by transferring onion-grown silver nanoparticles onto inorganic supports. The resulting materials are active in the total oxidation of benzene, attesting that this novel bio-inspired concept is promising in inorganic catalysis.
Université Catholique de Louvain, Unité de Catalyse et Chimie des Matériaux Divisés, Croix du Sud 2/17, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. damien.debecker@uclouvain.be
Damien P
DP
Debecker
Chrystel
C
Faure
Marie-Edith
ME
Meyre
Alain
A
Derré
Eric M
EM
Gaigneaux
D001554:Benzene; D002384:Catalysis; D004058:Diffusion; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D019697:Onions / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013818:Thermogravimetry; D014025:Titanium / Q000378:metabolism
C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium; D001554:Benzene