Rigid Supramolecular Aramid Nanotubes as Catalyst Supports

Solution-phase heterogeneous catalysts benefit from nanoscale dimensions, which maximize specific surface area and enhance catalytic activity. However, the ease of recovering such nanocatalysts depends on the design of the support materials, which are often particle-like. Rigid 1D nanomaterials are proposed as supports that can enhance separability while offering high volumetric specific surface area for greater catalyst loading and activity. Here, aramid amphiphiles (AAs) are designed to spontaneously self-assemble in water into high-aspect-ratio supramolecular nanotubes with tunable surface chemistry. These AA nanotubes exhibit high persistence lengths (P = 750 ± 340 µm) and mechanical stiffnesses (3 N/m). Incorporating surface thiol groups enables immobilization of catalytic gold nanoparticles. The resulting AA nanotube-gold nanoparticle complexes exhibit high catalytic activity, efficient recoverability via simple microfiltration, and sustained reusability over ten reaction cycles. This study demonstrates the utility of molecular self-assembled 1D nanomaterials as versatile scaffolds for the reuse and recovery of nanoscale catalysts.