A true nanocomposite: Single crystalline Au nanoparticles on single crystalline Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles

摘要

An Au/Fe_3O_4 nanocomposite catalyst was fabricated through a simple deposition-precipitation method. The Au/Fe_3O_4 nanocomposite is a true nanocomposite that has single crystalline Au nanoparticles supported on single crystalline Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles. Lattice fringes from both Au and Fe_3O_4 single nanoparticles were simultaneously observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). This nanocomposite catalyst showed much high activity in low temperature CO oxidation reaction. The Au/Fe_3O_4 nanocomposite catalyst reaches 100% CO conversion at 40 ℃. In comparison, Au/commercial Fe_3O_4 catalyst needs 375 ℃ to convert CO. This Au/Fe_3O_4 nanocomposite is an ideal sample to study synergetic effect between the catalyst and the support at nanoscale.