Highly Active Nanoreactors: Nanomaterial Encapsulation Based on Confined Catalysis

Marcos Sanlés-Sobrido, Moisés Pérez-Lorenzo, Benito Rodríguez-González, Verónica Salgueiriño, and Miguel A. Correa-Duarte

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 3877‒3882

It happens inside: Highly active nanoreactors are prepared by encapsulating dendritic Pt nanoparticles (NPs) grown on a polystyrene template inside hollow porous silica capsules. The catalytic activity of these Pt NPs is preserved after encapsulation and template removal. Different metals, such as Ni, can thus be reduced inside the capsules, thereby leading to the formation of composites with tunable magnetic properties.