Investigating the Hybrid-Structure-Effect of CeO2 -Encapsulated Au Nanostructures on the Transfer Coupling of Nitrobenzene

Jian Li; Shuyan Song; Yan Long; Lanlan Wu; Xiao Wang; Yan Xing; Rongchao Jin; Xiaogang Liu; Hongjie Zhang

doi:10.1002/adma.201704416

Investigating the Hybrid-Structure-Effect of CeO₂ -Encapsulated Au Nanostructures on the Transfer Coupling of Nitrobenzene

Adv Mater. 2018 Feb;30(7). doi: 10.1002/adma.201704416. Epub 2018 Jan 8.

Authors

Jian Li^{1

2}, Shuyan Song¹, Yan Long^{1

2}, Lanlan Wu^{1

2}, Xiao Wang¹, Yan Xing³, Rongchao Jin⁴, Xiaogang Liu⁵, Hongjie Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China.
² School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, P. R. China.
³ Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials, Department of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, P. R. China.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Science Drive 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.

PMID: 29315827
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201704416

Abstract

Due to the obvious distinctions in structure, core-shell nanostructures (CSNs) and yolk-shell nanostructures (YSNs) exhibit different catalytic behavior for specific organic reactions. In this work, two unique autoredox routes are developed to the fabrication of CeO₂ -encapsulated Au nanocatalysts. Route A is the synthesis of well-defined CSNs by a one-step redox reaction. The process involves an interesting phenomenon in which Ce³⁺ can act as a weak acid to inhibit the hydrolysis of Ce⁴⁺ under the condition of OH^- shortage. Route B is the fabrication of monodispersed YSNs by a two-step redox reaction with amorphous Co₃ O₄ as an in situ template. Furthermore, the transfer coupling of nitrobenzene is chosen as a probe reaction to investigate their catalytic difference. The CSNs can gradually achieve the conversion of nitrobenzene into azoxybenzene, while the YSNs can rapidly convert nitrobenzene into azobenzene. The different catalytic results are mainly attributed to their structural distinctions.

Keywords: CeO2; autoredox reactions; core-shell; nitrobenzene; yolk-shell.