Composite materials based on mesoporous oxides and noble metal nanoparticles

Abstract

Mesoporous oxides present some key features that make them attractive for a wide variety of applications, including controlled pore size and pore arrangement, high specific surface, and the possibility to be shaped as powders, nanoparticles, and thin films. These characteristics are compatible and complementary with those of noble metal nanoparticles, materials with a highly controlled size and shape in the nanoscale and distinctive optical and catalytic properties. Thus the combination of both classes of materials to produce composites is straightforward. These composite materials combine the properties of both components and those derived from their interactions have applications in many areas, including sensing, catalysis, and controlled release of drugs. In this chapter, noble metal nanoparticles–mesoporous oxides composites with different architectures are introduced. Different families of composites are described, grouped focusing on the role the porous oxide plays in their synthesis and properties. Several examples of composite materials in which the porous oxides act as supports, stabilizers, host of molecules, active hosts, and filters are presented and analyzed. In all cases, examples of applications in several fields are discussed, highlighting the contribution of each composite component to them. Finally, the perspectives of this very active field of research are presented.