Hollow nanoparticles that encapsulate catalytic species inside the permeable porous shell of chemically inert materials are promising candidates for nanoreactors that efficiently catalyze the chemical reactions of selected molecules while preserving the exposed surface area of the entrapped catalysts even under harsh reaction conditions or during the recycling process. In this presentation, I would like to report a post-synthetic functionalization protocol based on galvanic replacement at the Mn3O4 surface, which leads to the high-density deposition of ultrafine catalytic metal nanoparticles, including Pd, Pt, Rh, Ir, and their alloys, on a Mn3O4-layer-coated interior surface of the hollow silica nanosphere. The hollow nanoreactor fabricated using the proposed method exhibited highly enhanced activity, selectivity, and recyclability in catalyzing the hydrolytic oxidation of silanes, which are attributable to the synergistic combination of the porous silica nanoshell and the oxide-immobilized catalyst system. I will also discuss further extension of the utility Mn3O4-involved galvanic replacement process for differently decorating interior and exterior surfaces of hollow carbon nanospheres with catalytic nanocrystals, which exploits the effect of the variable oxidation state of manganese oxide on reaction behavior.

Fabrication of hollow nanoparticles with functionalized interior surface for the nanoreactor application

248th National Meeting (2014)

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