The catalytic effect of Pt nanoparticles supported on silicon oxide nanowire

Abstract

3.5 nm sized Pt nanocatalysts supported on silicon oxide nanowires (SiOXNWs) were fabricatedby decorating the SiOXNWs with Pt nanoparticles using a simple physical deposition system without anysurface pretreatment. High curvature of the nanowire surface together withthe weak metal–substrate interaction helped to maintain discrete particlemorphology with spherical shapes during deposition. Catalytic efficiency of theSiOXNWs coated with Pt nanoparticles was demonstrated through reduction of methylene blue in thepresence of sodium borohydride. It was demonstrated that the highly curved nanowiresurface allowed the Pt nanoparticles to be loaded with increased particle density, providinga larger surface area for the catalytic reaction. It was also shown that a simple heattreatment in vacuum improves the effectiveness of the Pt nanoparticles as a catalystwithout loss of catalytic activity when used repeatedly. We expect that this metalnanoparticle-decorated nanowire can be easily extended to other heterogeneous reactionsand can also be used as a template for building three-dimensional hierarchicalnanostructures.