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Synthesis and Catalytic Reactions of Nanoparticles formed by Electrospray Ionization of Coinage Metals
Author(s) -
Li Anyin,
Luo Qingjie,
Park SoJung,
Cooks R. Graham
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201309193
Subject(s) - catalysis , electrospray ionization , chemistry , nanoparticle , noble metal , inorganic chemistry , acetonitrile , aqueous solution , reagent , mass spectrometry , materials science , organic chemistry , nanotechnology , chromatography
Noble metals can be ionized by electrochemical corrosion and transported by electrospray ionization. Mass spectrometry (MS) showed solvated metal ions as the main ionic constituent of the sprayed droplets. Collection of the electrospray plume on a surface yielded noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) under ambient conditions. The NPs were characterized by several techniques. Under typical conditions, capped‐nanoparticle sizes averaged 2.2 nm for gold and 6.5 nm for silver. The gold nanoparticles showed high catalytic activity in the reduction of p ‐nitrophenol by NaBH 4 . Efficient catalysis was also observed by simply directing the spray of solvated Au + onto the surface of an aqueous p ‐nitrophenol/NaBH 4 mixture. Organometallic ions were generated by spiking ligands into the spray solvent: for example, Cu I bipyridine cations dominated the spray during Cu electrocorrosion in acetonitrile containing bipyridine. This organometallic reagent was shown to be effective in the radical polymerization of styrene.