Correlating catalytic activity of Ag-Au nanoparticles with 3D compositional variations

Nano Lett. 2014;14(4):1921-6. doi: 10.1021/nl4047448. Epub 2014 Mar 7.

Abstract

Significant elemental segregation is shown to exist within individual hollow silver-gold (Ag-Au) bimetallic nanoparticles obtained from the galvanic reaction between Ag particles and AuCl4(-). Three-dimensional compositional mapping using energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) tomography within the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) reveals that nanoparticle surface segregation inverts from Au-rich to Ag-rich as Au content increases. Maximum Au surface coverage was observed for nanoparticles with approximately 25 atom % Au, which correlates to the optimal catalytic performance in a three-component coupling reaction among cyclohexane carboxyaldehyde, piperidine, and phenylacetylene.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.