Platinum-centered yolk-shell nanostructure formation by sacrificial nickel spacers.

We have synthesized Pt@silica/nickel phyllosilicate and Pt@silica yolk-shell nanostructures from NiPt@silica core-shell particles by simple chemical treatments. Silica coating of the NiPt alloy nanoparticles via the microemulsion method yielded spherical NiPt@silica core-shell nanoparticles with an average core diameter of 6.5 nm. Under a reflux condition in water, the core-shell structure transformed into Pt@silica yolk-shell nanoparticles with branched nickel phyllosilicate, which exhibited high surface area and large pore volume. The addition of hydrochloric acid selectively etched the nickel component from the NiPt cores and yielded Pt@silica yolk-shell nanoparticles with single-crystalline platinum cores. The average diameter of the metal cores was reduced to 4.5 nm. In both cases, the nickel components behaved as sacrificial spacers and successfully formed a vacancy between the metal cores and the silica hollow shells.