Laser-Induced Fabrication of Hollow Platinum Nanospheres for Enhanced Catalytic Performances

Abstract

The simple irradiation of 355 nm nanosecond laser pulses to SiO2@Pt core–shell nanospheres at fluence of 2.7 mJ cm–2 during the preparation process of hollow platinum nanospheres has been found to enhance the catalytic performances of platinum nanocatalysts on a large scale. Laser irradiation has transformed platinum nanoclusters topped on silica nanospheres into well-defined platinum nanoshells having uniform and smooth surfaces; the thickness of platinum nanoshells has been tuned easily by adjusting the irradiation time only. Laser irradiation increases the catalytic performances of hollow platinum nanospheres in the degradation of rhodamine B in the presence of KBH4 by five times via lowering the energy barrier. The energetically more favorable formation of the activated complexes in the nanocavity surfaces is suggested to reduce the activation energy substantially. The restructuring of surface atoms induced by photothermal annealing during laser irradiation has rendered the metallic surfaces much easier to chemisorb reactants and to facilitate electron relays, enhancing the catalytic performances of platinum nanocatalysts extensively.