The dual role of micelles as templates and reducing agents for the fabrication of catalytically active hollow silver nanospheres

Abstract

We report a simple and efficient protocol for fabrication of colloidal hollow silver nanospheres of size less than 30 nm using an ABC triblock copolymer poly(styrene-b-vinyl-2-pyridine-b-ethylene oxide) in the absence of any reducing agents. The colloidal silver hollow nanoparticles serve as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of ketones to the corresponding lactones in the presence of anhydrous tert-butylhydroperoxide under liquid-phase conditions.