Thermal stability of gold nanoparticles embedded within metal oxide frameworks fabricated by hybrid modifications...

The stability and spatial separation of nanoparticles (NP's) is essential for employing their advantageous nanoscale properties. This work demonstrates the entrapment of gold NP's embedded in a porous inorganic matrix. Initially, gold NP's are decorated on fibrous nylon-6, which is used as an inexpensive sacrificial template. This is followed by inorganic modification using a novel single exposure cycle vapor phase technique resulting in distributed NP's embedded within a hybrid organic-inorganic matrix. The processing is extended to the synthesis of porous nanoflakes after calcination of the modified nylon-6 yielding a porous metal oxide framework surrounding the disconnected NP's with a surface area of 250 m(2)/g. A unique feature of this work is the use of a transmission electron microscope (TEM) equipped with an in situ annealing sample holder. The apparatus affords the opportunity to explore the underlying nanoscopic stability of NP's embedded in these frameworks in a single step. TEM analysis indicates thermal stability up to 670 °C and agglomeration characteristics thereafter. The vapor phase processes developed in this work will facilitate new complex NP/oxide materials useful for catalytic platforms.