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Selective Extraction and In Situ Reduction of Precious Metal Salts from Model Waste To Generate Hybrid Gels with Embedded Electrocatalytic Nanoparticles
Author(s) -
Okesola Babatunde O.,
Suravaram Sindhu K.,
Parkin Alison,
Smith David K.
Publication year - 2016
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.201507684
Subject(s) - precious metal , in situ , extraction (chemistry) , nanoparticle , metal , reduction (mathematics) , materials science , chemical engineering , chemistry , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , metallurgy , engineering , geometry , mathematics
A hydrogel based on 1,3:2,4‐dibenzylidenesorbitol (DBS), modified with acyl hydrazides which extracts gold/silver salts from model waste is reported, with preferential uptake of precious heavy metals over other common metals. Reduction of gold/silver salts occurs spontaneously in the gel to yield metal nanoparticles located on the gel nanofibers. High nanoparticle loadings can be achieved, endowing the gel with electrochemical activity. These hybrid gels exhibit higher conductances than gels doped with carbon nanotubes, and can be used to modify electrode surfaces, enhancing electrocatalysis. We reason this simple, industrially and environmentally relevant approach to conducting materials is of considerable significance.