Open AccessSub‐Nanometer Thick Gold Nanosheets as Highly Efficient Catalysts
Author(s) -
Ye Sunjie,
Brown Andy P.,
Stammers Ashley C.,
Thomson Neil H.,
Wen Jin,
Roach Lucien,
Bushby Richard J.,
Coletta Patricia Louise,
Critchley Kevin,
Connell Simon D.,
Markham Alexander F.,
Brydson Rik,
Evans Stephen D.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
advanced science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.388
H-Index - 100
ISSN - 2198-3844
DOI - 10.1002/advs.201900911
Subject(s) - nanomaterials , materials science , nanotechnology , nanometre , aqueous solution , catalysis , metal , fabrication , methyl orange , thin film , chemical engineering , chemistry , organic chemistry , metallurgy , composite material , photocatalysis , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , engineering
2D metal nanomaterials offer exciting prospects in terms of their properties and functions. However, the ambient aqueous synthesis of atomically‐thin, 2D metallic nanomaterials represents a significant challenge. Herein, freestanding and atomically‐thin gold nanosheets with a thickness of only 0.47 nm (two atomic layers thick) are synthesized via a one‐step aqueous approach at 20 °C, using methyl orange as a confining agent. Owing to the high surface‐area‐to‐volume ratio, abundance of unsaturated atoms exposed on the surface and large interfacial areas arising from their ultrathin 2D nature, the as‐prepared Au nanosheets demonstrate excellent catalysis performance in the model reaction of 4‐nitrophenol reduction, and remarkable peroxidase‐mimicking activity, which enables a highly sensitive colorimetric sensing of H 2 O 2 with a detection limit of 0.11 × 10 −6 m . This work represents the first fabrication of freestanding 2D gold with a sub‐nanometer thickness, opens up an innovative pathway toward atomically‐thin metal nanomaterials that can serve as model systems for inspiring fundamental advances in materials science, and holds potential across a wide region of applications.