Conversion of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) to value-added products is an important challenge for sustainable energy research, and nanomaterials offer a broad class of heterogeneous catalysts for such transformations. Here we report a molecular surface functionalization approach to tuning gold nanoparticle (Au NP) electrocatalysts for reduction of CO2 to CO. The N-heterocyclic (NHC) c...

Metallic nanoparticles can be used to enhance optical absorption or emission in semiconductors, thanks to a strong interaction of collective excitations of free charges (plasmons) with electromagnetic fields. Herein we present direct imaging at the nanoscale of plasmon-exciton coupling in Au/ZnO nanostructures by combining scanning transmission electron energy loss and cathodoluminescence spect...

The present study focuses on investigating the magnetic properties and the critical particle size for developing sizable spontaneous magnetic moment of bare Au nanoparticles. Seven sets of bare Au nanoparticle assemblies, with diameters from 3.5 to 17.5 nm, were fabricated with the gas condensation method. Line profiles of the X-ray diffraction peaks were used to determine the mean particle dia...

Electrostatically bonded SiO2.Au nanoparticle clusters form by reaction of 3-aminopropylsilane-modified SiO2 spheres (470 nm) with citrate-coated gold nanoparticles (9.7 nm) in water. Reaction of the clusters with 0.01 M KBr or HCl solution induces desorption of the gold nanoparticles within minutes. Reaction of the clusters with alkanethiols CnH2n+1SH (n = 2-18) at 80 degrees C causes the gold...

Two thermoresponsive polymers based on alkyl modified poly-vinylpyrrolidone (PVP) that exhibit very sensitive and reversible temperature-dependant water solubility are described. The application of these polymers as Au nanocatalyst stabilizers leads to a "smart" thermoresponsive Au nanoparticle catalyst.

A facile aqueous synthesis method for the preparation of Au nanoparticle clusters by the controlled galvanic replacement of Ag nanoparticles with Au precursors is described. The prepared clusters showed both significantly enhanced surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity and stability.

Reversible magneto-switchable quantum charging of a Au nanoparticle array associated with a Au electrode is observed in the presence of hydrophobic magnetic nanoparticles attracted to the functionalized electrode surface.

Responsive catalytic hybrid nanogels with Au nanoparticle cores and a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) based gel shell are prepared through a novel one-pot approach. The embedded Au nanoparticles demonstrate both a pH-modulated catalytic activity and anti-aggregation properties upon recycling.

Large-area submonolayer and monolayer Au nanoparticle (NP) arrays with sub-5 nm nanobowl gaps for giant electromagnetic enhancement were created by partially embedding SiO2-coated Au NP arrays in an electrochemically deposited Au film, followed by the removal of the SiO2 shells.

We report a gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-capped mesoporous silica nanoparticle (Au-MSN) platform for intracellular codelivery of an enzyme and a substrate with retention of bioactivity. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, Au-MSNs are shown to release luciferin from the interior pores of MSN upon AuNP uncapping in response to disulfide-reducing antioxidants and codeliver bioactive luciferase from t...