Core-shell nanostructures, where gold nanoparticles of sub 10 nm size are successfully encapsulated inside porous silica spheres, have been prepared. The detailed characterization of the catalyst shows a high surface area and good mesoporosity. The sinter resistance of the catalyst under repeated cycles of the CO oxidation reaction is observed.

The encapsulation of gold nanoparticles 8–12 nm in size within a porous Ti–SiO2 shell to form a core–shell nanoarchitecture was investigated, and the catalytic activity of the resulting structure was probed. Detailed characterization of the synthesized materials shows that the core–shell morphology is lost beyond a certain amount of incorporated titanium, and results in normal gold‐supported Ti–SiO2. The material has a high surface area (913 m2 g−1) and high porosity, both of which make it an excellent choice for catalytic applications. With the optimum amount of incorporated Ti, the core–shell catalyst shows excellent room‐temperature CO oxidation activity over several cycles with retention of its morphology at higher temperatures.