In situ determination of colloidal gold concentrations with UV-vis spectroscopy: limitations and perspectives.

This paper studies the UV-vis absorbance of colloidal gold nanoparticles at 400 nm and validates it as a method to determine Au(0) concentrations in colloidal gold solutions. The method is shown to be valid with restrictions depending on the investigated system. The uncertainty of the determined Au(0) concentration can be up to 30%. This deviation is the result of the combined influence of parameters such as particle size, surface modification, or oxidation state. However, quantifying the influence of these parameters enables a much more precise Au(0) determination for specific systems. As an example, the reduction process of the well-known Turkevich method was monitored and the Au(0) concentration was determined with a deviation of less than 5%. Hence, a simple, fast, easy, and cheap in situ method for Au(0) determination is demonstrated that has in the presence of other gold species such as Au(III) an unprecedented accuracy.

Formation mechanism of silver nanoparticles stabilized in glassy matrices.

In any given matrix control over the final particle size distribution requires a constitutive understanding of the mechanisms and kinetics of the particle evolution. In this contribution we report on the formation mechanism of silver nanoparticles embedded in a soda-lime silicate glass matrix. For the silver ion-exchanged glass it is shown that at temperatures below 410 °C only molecular clusters (diameter <1 nm) are forming which are most likely silver dimers. These clusters grow to nanoparticles (diameter >1 nm) by annealing above this threshold temperature of 410 °C. It is evidenced that the growth and thus the final silver nanoparticle size are determined by matrix-assisted reduction mechanisms. As a consequence, particle growth proceeds after the initial formation of stable clusters by addition of silver monomers which diffuse from the glass matrix. This is in contrast to the widely accepted concept of particle growth in metal-glass systems, in which it is assumed that the nanoparticle formation is predominantly governed by Ostwald ripening processes.

New triblock copolymer templates, PEO-PB-PEO, for the synthesis of titania films with controlled mesopore size, wall thickness, and bimodal porosity.

The synthesis and properties of a series of new structure-directing triblock copolymers with PEO-PB-PEO structure (PEO = poly(ethylene oxide) and PB = polybutadiene) and their application as superior pore-templates for the preparation of mesoporous titania coatings are reported. Starting from either TiCl4 or from preformed TiO2 nanocrystalline building blocks, mesoporous crystalline titanium oxide films with a significant degree of mesoscopic ordered pores are derived, and the pore size can be controlled by the molecular mass of the template polymer. Moreover, the triblock copolymers form stable micelles already at very low concentration, i.e., prior to solvent evaporation during the evaporation-induced self-assembly process (EISA). Consequently, the thickness of pore walls can be controlled independently of pore size by changing the polymer-to-precursor ratio. Thus, unprecedented control of wall thickness in the structure of mesoporous oxide coatings is achieved. In addition, the micelle formation of the new template polymers is sufficiently distinct from that of typical commercial PPO-PEO-PPO polymers (Pluronics; PPO = poly(propylene oxide)), so that a combination of both polymers facilitates bimodal porosity via dual micelle templating.

Mechanism of gold nanoparticle formation in the classical citrate synthesis method derived from coupled in situ XANES and SAXS evaluation.

Although gold nanoparticles (GNP) are among the most intensely studied nanoscale materials, the actual mechanisms of GNP formation often remain unclear due to limited accessibility to in situ-derived time-resolved information about precursor conversion and particle size distribution. Overcoming such limitations, a method is presented that analyzes the formation of nanoparticles via in situ SAXS and XANES using synchrotron radiation. The method is applied to study the classical GNP synthesis route via the reduction of tetrachloroauric acid by trisodium citrate at different temperatures and reactant concentrations. A mechanism of nanoparticle formation is proposed comprising different steps of particle growth via both coalescence of nuclei and further monomer attachment. The coalescence behavior of small nuclei was identified as one essential factor in obtaining a narrow size distribution of formed particles.

Real-time monitoring of copolymer stabilized growing gold nanoparticles.

A great challenge in the production of nanoparticles with defined sizes and properties is to control their growth in situ. We developed a dedicated combined small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) setup to monitor nanoparticle formation in solution. The capabilities of simultaneously deriving particle sizes and oxidation states of atoms/ions are illustrated for the formation of spherical gold nanoparticles by the reduction of hydrogen tetrachloroaureate (HAuCl(4)). Particles with initial radii of 4.60 +/- 0.10 nm and final radii of 5.67 +/- 0.10 nm were produced in a levitated droplet with a volume of 4 microL. An ethylene oxide/propylene oxide triblock copolymer PEO-PPO-PEO (Pluronic F-127) functions as reducing agent and colloidal stabilizer. XANES shows in situ how the gold was reduced in the droplet from Au(III) to Au(0), and simultaneously SAXS recorded the size distribution of the formed nanoparticles. It is shown that the final particle number is reached quickly. Thereafter, only the particles' sizes increase. Comparison of XANES and SAXS shows that the quantity of Au(0) is higher than the quantity of gold located in the nanoparticles while the particles are growing. Finally, all the Au(0) is found in the nanoparticles. We tentatively attribute this finding to the pseudo crown ether effect of the polymer surfactant that kinetically stabilizes gold atoms when formed from gold ions within their protecting cavity. A simple "burst" mechanism for the gold nanoparticle formation is the consequence. The possibility of an inhomogeneous particles structure with an enhanced density near the particle surface is discussed.

A meta-analysis of catalytic literature data reveals property-performance correlations for the OCM reaction.

Decades of catalysis research have created vast amounts of experimental data. Within these data, new insights into property-performance correlations are hidden. However, the incomplete nature and undefined structure of the data has so far prevented comprehensive knowledge extraction. We propose a meta-analysis method that identifies correlations between a catalyst's physico-chemical properties and its performance in a particular reaction. The method unites literature data with textbook knowledge and statistical tools. Starting from a researcher's chemical intuition, a hypothesis is formulated and tested against the data for statistical significance. Iterative hypothesis refinement yields simple, robust and interpretable chemical models. The derived insights can guide new fundamental research and the discovery of improved catalysts. We demonstrate and validate the method for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM). The final model indicates that only well-performing catalysts provide under reaction conditions two independent functionalities, i.e. a thermodynamically stable carbonate and a thermally stable oxide support.

Superparamagnetic maghemite nanorods: analysis by coupling field-flow fractionation and small-angle X-ray scattering.

We report on the online coupling of asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (A4F) with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) for the detection of nanoparticles. The A4F was used to fractionate superparamagnetic maghemite nanoparticles, which were prepared continuously with a micromixer. The outlet of the A4F was directly coupled to a flow capillary of a SAXSess instrument (Kratky type of camera). SAXS curves were recorded in a 1 s time interval. This was possible by using intense synchrotron radiation. The radii of gyration of the nanoparticles, as determined from Guinier plots, increased from 2 to 6 nm with increasing fractionation time of the A4F. A more detailed analysis of the scattering curves revealed that the particles were cylindrical in shape (nanorods), which we attributed to the micromixing preparation technique. The radii of the nanorods increased only slightly from 1.2 to 1.7 nm with increasing fractionation time, while the lengths increased strongly from 7.0 to 30.0 nm. The volume distribution of the nanorods was determined and described by Schultz-Zimm and log-normal distributions. Nanorod volumes increased from 45 to 263 nm(3), corresponding to molar masses of 140 x 10(3) to 820 x 10(3) g mol(-1). We propose A4F-SAXS coupling as a new method for analysis of nanoparticles of complex composition in solution. It allows precise online determination of the particle's shape and size distributions. This method can be applied to mixtures of nanoparticles of arbitrary shapes and sizes (1-100 nm). Moreover, the total time needed for fractionation and online SAXS data recording is usually only 20 min.

Yolk@Shell Nanoarchitectures with Bimetallic Nanocores-Synthesis and Electrocatalytic Applications.

In the present paper, we demonstrate a versatile approach for the one-pot synthesis of metal oxide yolk@shell nanostructures filled with bimetallic nanocores. This novel approach is based on the principles of hydrophobic nanoreactor soft-templating and is exemplified for the synthesis of various AgAuNP@tin-rich ITO (AgAu@ITOTR) yolk@shell nanomaterials. Hydrophobic nanoreactor soft-templating thereby takes advantage of polystyrene-block-poly(4-vinylpiridine) inverse micelles as two-compartment nanoreactor template, in which the core and the shell of the micelles serve as metal and metal oxide precursor reservoir, respectively. The composition, size and number of AuAg bimetallic nanoparticles incorporated within the ITOTR yolk@shell can easily be tuned. The conductivity of the ITOTR shell and the bimetallic composition of the AuAg nanoparticles, the as-synthesized AuAgNP@ITOTR yolk@shell materials could be used as efficient electrocatalysts for electrochemical glucose oxidation with improved onset potential when compared to their gold counterpart.

Turkevich in New Robes: Key Questions Answered for the Most Common Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis.

This contribution provides a comprehensive mechanistic picture of the gold nanoparticle synthesis by citrate reduction of HAuCl4, known as Turkevich method, by addressing five key questions. The synthesis leads to monodisperse final particles as a result of a seed-mediated growth mechanism. In the initial phase of the synthesis, seed particles are formed onto which the residual gold is distributed during the course of reaction. It is shown that this mechanism is a fortunate coincidence created by a favorable interplay of several chemical and physicochemical processes which initiate but also terminate the formation of seed particles and prevent the formation of further particles at later stages of reaction. Since no further particles are formed after seed particle formation, the number of seeds defines the final total particle number and therefore the final size. The gained understanding allows illustrating the influence of reaction conditions on the growth process and thus the final size distribution.

Antireflective coatings with adjustable refractive index and porosity synthesized by micelle-templated deposition of MgF2 sol particles.

Minimizing efficiency losses caused by unwanted light reflection at the interface between lenses, optical instruments and solar cells with the surrounding medium requires antireflective coatings with adequate refractive index and coating thickness. We describe a new type of antireflective coating material with easily and independently tailorable refractive index and coating thickness based on the deposition of colloidal MgF2 nanoparticles. The material synthesis employs micelles of amphiphilic block copolymers as structure directing agent to introduce controlled mesoporosity into MgF2 film. The coatings thickness can be easily adjusted by the applied coating conditions. The coatings refractive index is determined by the materials porosity, which is controlled by the amount of employed pore template. The refractive index can be precisely tuned between 1.23 and 1.11, i.e., in a range that is not accessible to nonporous inorganic materials. Hence, zero reflectance conditions can be established for a wide range of substrate materials.

Formation mechanism of colloidal silver nanoparticles: analogies and differences to the growth of gold nanoparticles.

The formation mechanisms of silver nanoparticles using aqueous silver perchlorate solutions as precursors and sodium borohydride as reducing agent were investigated based on time-resolved in situ experiments. This contribution addresses two important issues in colloidal science: (i) differences and analogies between growth processes of different metals such as gold and silver and (ii) the influence of a steric stabilizing agent on the growth process. The results reveal that a growth due to coalescence is a fundamental growth principle if the monomer-supplying chemical reaction is faster than the actual particle formation.

SAXS in combination with a free liquid jet for improved time-resolved in situ studies of the nucleation and growth of nanoparticles.

A new setup for fast in situ SAXS studies of early stages in the nucleation and growth of colloidal nanoparticles is presented. Evading the disturbing influence of container walls and minimizing the possibility of beam-induced reactions, the benefits of the setup are demonstrated exemplarily for the well-known synthesis of gold nanoparticles via the Turkevich method. Analysis with the new experimental setup reveals the initial rate of particle formation, and enables analysis of particle growth rates.

Mechanistic insights into seeded growth processes of gold nanoparticles.

A facile approach for the synthesis of monodisperse gold nanoparticles with radii in the range of 7 to 20 nm is presented. Starting from monodisperse seeds with radii of 7 nm, produced in the first step, the addition of a defined amount of additional precursor material permits distinct size regulation and the realization of predicted nanoparticle sizes. These information were derived from ex- and in situ investigations by comprehensive small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and UV-Vis data to obtain information on the physicochemical mechanisms. The obtained mechanisms can be transferred to other seeded growth processes. Compared to similar approaches, the presented synthesis route circumvents the use of different reducing or stabilizing agents. The size of resulting nanoparticles can be varied over a large size range presented for the first time without a measurable change in the shape, polydispersity or surface chemistry. Thus, the resulting nanoparticles are ideal candidates for size dependence investigations.

Nucleation and growth of gold nanoparticles studied via in situ small angle X-ray scattering at millisecond time resolution.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) were prepared by the homogeneous mixing of continuous flows of an aqueous tetrachloroauric acid solution and a sodium borohydride solution applying a microstructured static mixer. The online characterization and screening of this fast process ( approximately 2 s) was enabled by coupling a micromixer operating in continuous-flow mode with a conventional in-house small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) setup. This online characterization technique enables the time-resolved investigation of the growth process of the nanoparticles from an average radius of ca. 0.8 nm to about 2 nm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a continuous-flow SAXS setup for time-resolved studies of nanoparticle formation mechanisms that does not require the use of synchrotron facilities. In combination with X-ray absorption near edge structure microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy the obtained data allow the deduction of a two-step mechanism of gold nanoparticle formation. The first step is a rapid conversion of the ionic gold precursor into metallic gold nuclei, followed by particle growth via coalescence of smaller entities. Consequently it could be shown that the studied synthesis serves as a model system for growth driven only by coalescence processes.