Sub‐nanometer thick gold nanosheets as highly efficient catalysts

Ye, S. et al. (2019) Sub‐nanometer thick gold nanosheets as highly efficient catalysts. Advanced Science, 6(21), 1900911. (doi: 10.1002/advs.201900911) (PMID:31728277) (PMCID:PMC6839621)

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Abstract

2D metal nanomaterials offer exciting prospects in terms of their properties and functions. However, the ambient aqueous synthesis of atomically‐thin, 2D metallic nanomaterials represents a significant challenge. Herein, freestanding and atomically‐thin gold nanosheets with a thickness of only 0.47 nm (two atomic layers thick) are synthesized via a one‐step aqueous approach at 20 °C, using methyl orange as a confining agent. Owing to the high surface‐area‐to‐volume ratio, abundance of unsaturated atoms exposed on the surface and large interfacial areas arising from their ultrathin 2D nature, the as‐prepared Au nanosheets demonstrate excellent catalysis performance in the model reaction of 4‐nitrophenol reduction, and remarkable peroxidase‐mimicking activity, which enables a highly sensitive colorimetric sensing of H2O2 with a detection limit of 0.11 × 10−6 m. This work represents the first fabrication of freestanding 2D gold with a sub‐nanometer thickness, opens up an innovative pathway toward atomically‐thin metal nanomaterials that can serve as model systems for inspiring fundamental advances in materials science, and holds potential across a wide region of applications.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:The authors would like to thank the following for financial support: Wellcome Trust ISSF Junior Investigator Development Fellowship, MRC (MR/L01629X), NIHR (MIC‐2016‐004), EPSRC (EP/P023266/1), EPSRC (EP/P005241/1), EPSRC Experimental Equipment call‐ M028143/1 for a new transmission electron microscope, Wellcome Trust Equipment Grant (101497/Z/13/Z) for Bruker FastScan Bio AFM.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Stammers, Dr Ashley
Authors: Ye, S., Brown, A. P., Stammers, A. C., Thomson, N. H., Wen, J., Roach, L., Bushby, R. J., Coletta, P. L., Critchley, K., Connell, S. D., Markham, A. F., Brydson, R., and Evans, S. D.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Biomedical Engineering
Journal Name:Advanced Science
Publisher:Wiley
ISSN:2198-3844
ISSN (Online):2198-3844
Published Online:06 August 2019
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2019 The Authors
First Published:First published in Advanced Science 6(21): 1900911
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License
Data DOI:10.5518/464

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