Selective preparation of zero- and one-dimensional gold nanostructures in a TiO2 nanocrystal-containing photoactive mesoporous template.

Nanocrystallized SiO2-TiO2 with tubular mesopores was prepared via the sol-gel technique. Gold was deposited in the tubular mesopores of the nanocrystallized SiO2-TiO2. The shape of the gold was varied from one-dimensional [1-D] to zero-dimensional [0-D] nanostructures by an increase in TiO2 content and ultraviolet [UV] irradiation during gold deposition. 1-D gold nanostructures [GNSs] were mainly obtained in the mesopores when a small amount of TiO2-containing mesoporous SiO2-TiO2 was used as a template, whereas the use of a template containing a large amount of TiO2 led to the formation of shorter 1-D or 0-D GNSs. UV irradiation also resulted in the formation of 0-D GNSs.PACS: 06.60.Jn (sample preparation); 81.07.Gf (nanowires); 81.16.Be (chemical synthesis methods).