Core–Shell Assembled Nanoparticles as Catalysts

The deliberate tailoring of nanoparticles supported on oxides, dispersed in dendrimers and encapsulated in monolayer shells could lead to novel catalytic applications. The study of core–shell assembled gold or alloy nanoparticles for electrocatalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide and methanol stems, in part, from recent insights in core–shell reactivities and, in part, from surprising findings of catalytic activities of oxide-supported gold nanoparticles. Monolayer-encapsulated metallic nanoparticles serve as intriguing model building blocks towards catalysts. Whether such core–shell nanoparticles can in general be developed into aggregation- and poison-resistant catalysts of high catalytic activities rests with our capabilities in catalytic activation and structural manipulation.