title: Surface-passivated SBA-15-supported gold nanoparticles: highly improved catalytic activity and selectivity toward hydrophobic substrates.
abstract: Silanol groups on a silica surface affect the activity of immobilized catalysts because they can influence the hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, matter transfer, or even transition state in a catalytic reaction. Previously, these silanol groups have usually been passivated by using surface-passivation reagents, such as alkoxysilanes, bis-silylamine reagents, chlorosilanes, etc., and surface passivation has typically been found in mesoporous-silicas-supported molecular catalysts and heteroatomic catalysts. However, this property has rarely been reported in mesoporous-silicas-supported metal-nanoparticle catalysts. Herein, we prepared an almost-superhydrophobic SBA-15-supported gold-nanoparticle catalyst by using surface passivation, in which the catalytic activity increased more than 14 times for the reduction of nitrobenzene compared with non-passivated SBA-15. In addition, this catalyst can selectively catalyze hydrophobic molecules under our experimental conditions, owing to its high (almost superhydrophobic) hydrophobic properties.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China. jsgao@dlut.edu.cn
authors.forename: Jinsuo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xueying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Xinyong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yaobin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Jingwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Quan