At the nanoscale, noble metals like gold have demonstrated remarkable catalytic activity, one notable example being the oxidation of CO by O<sub>2</sub>. Such efficiency depends on the nanoparticle's elemental composition, morphology, and size, amongst other factors. Therefore, designing better nanocatalysts requires understanding how these physical factors impact their catalytic activity. One way to evaluate the catalytic activity in metallic nanoparticles is through the reduction potential. Here, we provide a thermodynamic approach that establishes the relationship between the reduction potential and size of gold nanoparticles in solution. The results from this work revealed that the reduction potentials decreased as the particle diameter approached a few nanometers. Due to the high curvature, their greater reactivity may stem from a larger number of low-coordinated surface atoms in the small nanoparticles. These findings demonstrate the impacts of size on the reduction potentials and could prove helpful for tailoring the catalytic activity across other more abundant and affordable metal nanocatalysts.

Not so noble: Tailoring the reduction potentials of gold nanoparticles by size

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ACS Spring 2023

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