title: Nanoporous cellulose as metal nanoparticles support.
abstract: Despite considerable progress in the field of metal nanoparticles synthesis, major challenges remain in many practical applications of nanoparticles which require their immobilization on solid substrates, presenting additional difficulty in separation and processing. Here, transparent nanoporous cellulose gel obtained from aqueous alkali hydroxide-urea solution was examined as supporting medium for noble metal nanoparticles. Silver, gold, and platinum nanoparticles were synthesized in the gel by hydrothermal reduction by cellulose or by added reductant. Both methods gave nanoparticles embedded with high dispersion in cellulose gels. Supercritical CO2 drying of the metal-carrying gel gave corresponding aerogels with high transmittance, porosity, surface area, moderate thermal stability, and good mechanical strength. The cellulose and metal-cellulose gels were characterized by UV/vis spectroscopy, optical microscopy, SEM, TEM, XRD, nitrogen physisorption, TGA, and tensile testing, systematically.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan. jiecaiwhu@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Masahisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Shigenori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuga
mesh_terms: D000468:Alkalies / Q000737:chemistry; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry; D006878:Hydroxides / Q000737:chemistry; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D019163:Reducing Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D014508:Urea / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000468:Alkalies; D006878:Hydroxides; D019163:Reducing Agents; D012996:Solutions; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D012834:Silver; D010984:Platinum; D006046:Gold; D014508:Urea; D002482:Cellulose