Comprehensive Experiment of Preparation of PANI Supported Nano Au Catalysts and the Study of Catalytic Properties

Abstract

The scientific research of preparation of PANI supported nano Au catalysts and the study of catalytic properties was designed as a comprehensive experiment for students of applied chemistry. The innovation of scientific research and the feasibility of teaching were combined organically to promote the cultivation of innovative talents. In this experiment, polyaniline (PANI) support was prepared with aniline monomer (ANI) as raw material and ammonium persulfate (APS) as oxidant. Three kinds of gold loading methods, such as gold sol adsorption, PANI in situ reduction and ANI in situ reduction, were used to prepare PANI supported Au catalysts. The reduction of p-nitrophenol (4-NP) to p-aminophenol (4-AP) in the presence of NaBH4 was used as a probe reaction to evaluate the catalytic performance of the catalysts. The experiment involved multiple contents, such as the preparation of catalysts, the structural characterization of catalysts and the evaluation of catalytic activities. Through this experiment, students could experience the whole process of scientific research in the subject of catalysis, master the preparation methods of catalytic materials. They also could proficiently use large-scale equipment, such as infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), to analyze the structure of the prepared catalysts. Through this experiment, the interest of learning of students could be stimulated and the scientific research literacy of students could be improved.