Perspective of Surfactant‐Free Colloidal Nanoparticles in Heterogeneous Catalysis

Abstract

AbstractDue to material gaps and synthesis‐related cross‐correlations in heterogeneous catalysis, chemists and physicists are constantly motivated to develop novel catalyst preparation methods for independent control of morphology, size, and composition. Within this article, advances, opportunities, and the current limits of laser‐based catalyst preparation technique, as well as synergies with conventional methods will be reviewed in terms of purity, particle size, morphology, composition, and nanoparticle‐support interaction. It will be shown, that the surfactant‐free particles represent ideal model materials to validate kinetic models and conduct parametric activity studies by independent adjustment of functional properties like nanoparticle size, composition, and load. Consequently, the importance of transient plasma dynamics tailoring nanoparticle formation will be pointed out, comparing experimental studies with own calculations and novel simulations taken from literature. Finally, perspectives of surfactant‐free colloidal nanoparticles for unrevealing active sites in heterogeneous catalysts are presented.