Vacuum-assisted synthesis of tiny Au nanoparticles entrapped into mesoporous carbon matrix with superior catalytic activity for 4-nitrophenol reduction

Abstract

In this work, we report a vacuum-assisted approach to synthesize tiny Au nanopartciles (Au NPs) entrapped into mesoporous carbon matrix (denoted as Au@MC). The tiny Au NPs are stably entrapped within the mesoporous structure and possess a small particle size (∼2.64 nm). The composite also exhibits a high specific surface area (∼421 m2 g−1), which may provide convenient transportation and diffusion for substrate molecules. Thus, Au@MC exhibits superior catalytic activity and reusability for 4-nitropheno (4-NP) reduction. The vacuum-assisted synthesis with unique nanostructure is expected to be applied in the preparation of other catalysts.