The photoinduced formation of gold nanoparticles in a mesoporous titania gel monolith.
Spherical gold nanoparticles with diameters less than 8 nm have been prepared by the photoinduced reduction of hydrogen tetrachloroaurate via a one-step sol-gel process. The as-prepared Au nanoparticles are highly dispersed in a mesoporous TiO2 gel monolith and are exposed to the external ambient atmosphere with a surface plasmon resonance absorption band centered at 578 nm. The results show that the size, size distribution, and dispersion of Au nanoparticles in the titania monolith are strongly dependent on the ultraviolet irradiation time of AuCl(4)(-) ions in the titania sol. The Au nanoparticles are found to be more uniform and smaller in size and more highly dispersed in the titania monolith with longer irradiation time. The crystallization of titania from the amorphous phase to the anatase phase is found to be suppressed at room temperature, and this is attributed to the smaller and highly dispersed Au nanoparticles on the surface of the colloids of titania.
Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China.
Wanqing
W
Shen
Fang
F
Liu
Jun
J
Qiu
Baodian
B
Yao
D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D008027:Light; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D054118:Nanospheres / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D010777:Photochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects
D005782:Gels; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; C009495:titanium dioxide; D006046:Gold; D014025:Titanium