Preparation of gold nanoparticles on nanocellulose and their catalytic activity for reduction of NO2-

Abstract

Nanoscale material has attracted the interest of many researchers because of its special physicochemical and surface properties. In this study, a nanocomposite was prepared based on cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in situ forming ultra-fine size gold nanoparticles. To form the gold nanoparticles, chloroauric acid was reduced with an aqueous mixture of ethanol and CNC. The gold nanoparticles were less than 8 nm in size, with 80% of them less than 5 nm. Nanocellulose in the preparation system acted as a stabilizer. The size and dispersity of the ultra-fine gold nanoparticles (UAuNPs) were controlled by adjusting the pH. The resulting UAuNPs/CNCs composite exhibited excellent catalytic performance to eliminate solubilized NaNO2 mixed with NH4Cl at room temperature. The apparent rate constant of the reaction was 4.12 × 10-5 s-1. The catalytic effect of the generated UAuNPs on NO2- reduction has potential use in many fields, particularly in the food and environmental sectors.