Heo Dain, Kim Ki Jun, Kwon Seong Jung
Department of Chemistry, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea.
Nanomaterials (Basel). 2024 Aug 28;14(17):1399. doi: 10.3390/nano14171399.
In observing the electrocatalytic current of nanoparticles (NPs) using single-entity electrochemistry (SEE), the surface state of the NPs significantly influences the SEE signal. This study investigates the influence of capping agents on the electrocatalytic properties of gold (Au) NPs using SEE. Two inner-sphere reactions, hydrazine oxidation and glucose oxidation, were chosen to explore the SEE characteristics of Au NPs based on the capping agent presence. The results revealed that "capping agent-free" Au NPs exhibited signal magnitudes and frequencies consistent with theoretical expectations, indicating superior stability and catalytic performance in electrolyte solutions. In contrast, citrate-capped Au NPs showed signals varying depending on the applied potential, with larger magnitudes and lower frequencies than expected, likely due to an aggregation of NPs. This study suggests that capping agents play a crucial role in the catalytic performance and stability of Au NPs in SEE. By demonstrating that minimizing capping agent presence can enhance effectiveness in SEE, it provides insights into the future applications of NPs, particularly highlighting their potential as nanocatalysts in energy conversion reactions and environmental applications.
在使用单实体电化学（SEE）观察纳米颗粒（NPs）的电催化电流时，NPs的表面状态会显著影响SEE信号。本研究利用SEE研究了封端剂对金（Au）NPs电催化性能的影响。选择了两个内球反应，即肼氧化和葡萄糖氧化，以基于封端剂的存在来探索Au NPs的SEE特性。结果表明，“无封端剂”的Au NPs表现出与理论预期一致的信号幅度和频率，表明其在电解质溶液中具有优异的稳定性和催化性能。相比之下，柠檬酸盐封端的Au NPs显示出的信号随施加电位而变化，幅度比预期的大，频率比预期的低，这可能是由于NPs的聚集所致。本研究表明，封端剂在SEE中Au NPs的催化性能和稳定性方面起着关键作用。通过证明尽量减少封端剂的存在可以提高SEE中的有效性，该研究为NPs的未来应用提供了见解，尤其突出了它们作为纳米催化剂在能量转换反应和环境应用中的潜力。
