Synthesis and application of single walled carbon nanotube supported gold catalysts.

Abstract

The Scope of this project is synthesis and application of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube (SWNT) supported gold (Au) catalyst. This catalyst could be used in the selective oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO) mixing with Hydrogen (H2). In this project, the catalyst synthesized in the lab by the author was tested for the activity in the oxidation of CO using the MicroFlow Reactor System (MRS). Basically, individually dispersed SWNT is obtained using a designed “polysoap” surfactant consisting of alternating styrene and maleic acid units, and the maleic acid groups are functionalized with aminopyrene that mimic the structure of DNA. This method is chosen other than covalently functionalizing the end or the sidewall of nanotubes, because the electronic structure of the SWNT is arguably altered in functionalization. This method using the polysoap can preserve the electronic structure of nanotubes. The SWNT-surfactant then is incubated with Au ions for an extended period of time before the gold ions are chemically reduced and form nanoparticles along SWNT. These SWNT/Au nanoparticle assemblies are then used for various catalytic applications.