Recently-developed mesoporous zeolite nanoparticles (MZNs) have been characterized with high surface area (SBET = 800-1100 m2/g), pore volume (~1.2 cm3/g) and wide-range distributions (0.4-2 nm, 4-6 nm) in both micropores and mesopores. Additionally, surface charges of the zeolites play important roles in adsorption behaviors of metal complexes, including but not limited to AuCl4-. In this study, anionic silver ethylenediaminetetraacetate (AgEDTA3-) complex was employed as a key precursor adsorbed and reduced in mesopores of MZNs. Mesopore-confined Ag nanoparticles (NPs) are examined by UV-vis, TEM, XRD, BET and EXAFS, suggestive of uniform sizes and highly-dispersed nanoparticles for optical applications. Plasmonic Ag NPs@MZNs exhibit enhanced Raman signals to detect diluted florescent dyes, e.g. Rhodamine 6G (R6G), down to 10-9 M. Promising SERS applications demonstrate the advantages of using anionic precursors for mesopore-confined growths as well as increased loading amounts, compared to conventional chemical reduction of cationic metal precursors.

Effective loading of plasmonic silver nanoparticles into mesopores for SERS applications

2019 Fall National Meeting

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