We introduce an inorganic-organic hybrid yolk-shell nanostructure that contains metallic Au nanoparticle as core and thermosensitive microgel PNIPA as shell. The catalytic selectivity of Au-PNIPA yolk-shell nanoparticles can be tuned between hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules through the volume transition of PNIPA shell. This change of polarity can be used to tune the selectivity for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol and nitrobenzene in the presence of NaBH4, that is, temperature can be used as a trigger to enhance the selectivity of the catalysis for a given substrate. 4-nitrophenol reacts much faster at low temperature while the reduction of nitrobenzene is preferred at higher temperature. This selectivity is even enhanced in mixtures of 4-NP and NB, most probably due to a competition of both reactants on the surface of the metal nanoparticles. Hence, yolk-shell systems have a great potential to tailor the catalytic activity and selectivity of metal nanoparticles toward a given reaction.

Thermosensitive Au-PNIPA yolk-shell nanoparticles with tunable selectivity for catalysis

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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