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Ultrafine Au and Ag Nanoparticles Synthesized from Self‐Assembled Peptide Fibers and Their Excellent Catalytic Activity
Author(s) -
Xu Wenlong,
Hong Yue,
Hu Yuanyuan,
Hao Jingcheng,
Song Aixin
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/cphc.201600182
Subject(s) - catalysis , nanoparticle , nanofiber , methylene blue , molecule , amphiphile , chemistry , peptide , colloidal gold , reaction rate constant , nuclear chemistry , chemical engineering , materials science , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , kinetics , copolymer , biochemistry , polymer , physics , photocatalysis , quantum mechanics , engineering
The self‐assembly of an amphiphilic peptide molecule to form nanofibers facilitated by Ag + ions was investigated. Ultrafine AgNPs (NPs=nanoparticles) with an average size of 1.67 nm were synthesized in situ along the fibers due to the weak reducibility of the ‐SH group on the peptide molecule. By adding NaBH 4 to the peptide solution, ultrafine AgNPs and AuNPs were synthesized with an average size of 1.35 and 1.18 nm, respectively. The AuNPs, AgNPs, and AgNPs/nanofibers all exhibited excellent catalytic activity toward the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol, with turnover frequency ( TOF ) values of 720, 188, and 96 h −1 , respectively. Three dyes were selected for catalytic degradation by the prepared nanoparticles and the nanoparticles showed selective catalysis activity toward the different dyes. It was a surprising discovery that the ultrafine AuNPs in this work had an extremely high catalytic activity toward methylene blue, with a reaction rate constant of 0.21 s −1 and a TOF value of 1899 h −1 .