Surface cavities of Ni(OH)2 nanowires can host Au nanoparticles as supported catalysts with high catalytic activity and stability

Abstract

We present a proof-of-concept demonstration of surface cavities for incorporation of noble metal nanoparticles with remarkable catalytic performance involved in liquid phase catalytic reactions. Mesoporous Ni(OH)₂ (m-Ni(OH)₂) nanowires with surface cavities have been chosen as multifunctional supports for Au nanoparticles with a well controlled size (2 nm) and high dispersity through a facile room-temperature in situ reduction process without any additional stabilizer. In addition to immobilizing Au nanoparticles, the cavities also can prevent aggregation of neighboring noble metal nanoparticles, thus ensuring high stability/recyclability for Au/m-Ni(OH)₂ supported nanocatalysts. The results from catalytic reactions involved in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol in the presence of NaBH₄ using Au/m-Ni(OH)₂ as the catalyst demonstrated its remarkable catalytic performance due to its nanoscale configuration.