Gold Incorporated Mesoporous Silica Thin Film Model Surface as a Robust SERS and Catalytically Active Substrate

Abstract

Ultra-small gold nanoparticles incorporated in mesoporous silica thin films with accessible pore channels perpendicular to the substrate are prepared by a modified sol-gel method. The simple and easy spin coating technique is applied here to make homogeneous thin films. The surface characterization using FESEM shows crack-free films with a perpendicular pore arrangement. The applicability of these thin films as catalysts as well as a robust SERS active substrate for model catalysis study is tested. Compared to bare silica film our gold incorporated silica, GSM-23F gave an enhancement factor of 10 3 for RhB with a laser source 633 nm. The reduction reaction of p-nitrophenol with sodium borohydride from our thin films shows a decrease in peak intensity corresponding to -NO 2 group as time proceeds, confirming the catalytic activity. Such model surfaces can potentially bridge the material gap between a real catalytic system and surface science studies.

Large-Scale Uniform Two-Dimensional Hexagonal Arrays of Gold Nanoparticles Templated from Mesoporous Silica Film for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

“…33,34 Combining the high-density small gold nanoparticles and nanogaps, the hybrid material could be an excellent platform for in situ monitoring of interested photocatalytic reactions via SERS signals. 35,36 Finally, we also note that the MSNs with dense coverage of Au nanoparticles on the external surface could be developed as excellent SERS nanoparticles in biomedicine since they can be suspended in solution well for cell uptakes.…”

“…Further exploit of these advantages may lead to many interesting applications. For example, by using mesoporous silica as a size-exclusion material with proper surface functionalization, detection of a certain size of concentrated chemical or biomolecules in mesopore is achievable. , Combining the high-density small gold nanoparticles and nanogaps, the hybrid material could be an excellent platform for in situ monitoring of interested photocatalytic reactions via SERS signals. , Finally, we also note that the MSNs with dense coverage of Au nanoparticles on the external surface could be developed as excellent SERS nanoparticles in biomedicine since they can be suspended in solution well for cell uptakes.…”

Special Issue: Coinage Metal (Copper, Silver, and Gold) Catalysis

“…Gold incorporated on a mesoporous silica thin film is reported as a robust surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and catalytically active substrate for the reduction of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol with sodium borohydride [5]. The reported approach can be used for making catalytically active metal nanoparticle-silica that can potentially bridge the material gap between real catalyst systems and surface science studies.…”