Metal Nanoparticles for catalysis application
24 April 2007Metal nanoparticles can act as best catalyst for industrial application as these have large surface to volume ration and have unique quantum size effect. Industrial catalysts act on the surface of the metals and therefore metal nanoparticles are promising materials considered for catalysis. Generally industrial catalysts are prepared by heating metal ions at high temperature and sometimes in the presence of hydrogen gas and have complex structures.
Catalysts play an important role in not only various chemical processes but also in enzymatic chemical process that happens inside our body.In industries generally two types of catalysts i.e. heterogeneous and homogeneous are used. Heterogeneous catalyst requires high temperature and can be recycled, however homogeneous catalyst although work at low temperature but these are difficult to recycle. In human body enzymes act, as catalyst at low temperature and these enzymes are very selective and reactive.
Metal nanoparticles can be prepared by two methods i.e. physical as well as chemical methods. In physical methods, the bulk metal is mechanically crushed and sometimes the smaller particles are formed by pulverization, however the nanoparticles so formed are large in size and also have irregular size distribution.
Chemical methods for preparation of metal nanoparticle consist of either decomposition of metal complexes or reduction of metal ions. The chemical reduction is carried out in presence of hydrogen, alcohol or hydrazine. Sometimes other common reducing agents such as citrate are also used. Stabilizers are used to produce metal nanoparticles in the desired narrow size range. For traditional colloidal dispersion of metal, electric discharge acts as a stabilizer. Metal nanoparticles are now being used for hydrogenation; hydrosilation of olefins or dienes and other possible applications of these metal nanoparticles are being examined.
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