Synthesis of double-shelled sea urchin-like yolk-shell Fe 3 O 4 /TiO 2 /Au microspheres and their catalytic applications

Double-shelled sea urchin-like yolk-shell Fe 3 O 4 /TiO 2 /Au microspheres were successfully synthesized through loading Au nanoparticles on the Fe 3 O 4 /TiO 2 support by a in situ reduction of HAuCl 4 with NaBH 4 aqueous solution. These microspheres possess tunable cavity size, adjustable shell layers, high structural stability and large specific surface area. The Au nanoparticles of approximately 5 nm in diameter were loaded both on the TiO 2 nanofibers and inside the cavities of sea urchin-like yolk-shell Fe 3 O 4 /TiO 2 microspheres. The sea urchin-like structure composed of TiO 2 nanofibers ensure the good distribution of the Au nanoparticles, while the novel double-shelled yolk-shell structure guarantees the high stability of the Au nanoparticles. Furthermore, the Fe 3 O 4 magnetic core facilitates the convenient recovery of t...

Jie Li, Li Tan, Ge Wang and Mu Yang

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