Rod-shaped silica particles derivatized with elongated silver nanoparticles immobilized within mesopores

• Mesoporous monodisperse submicron-sized silica rods were achieved.
• Silver nanoparticles were located lengthwise within the intra-particle mesopores.
• Textural and plasmonic properties of particles studied by 129Xe NMR and UV–Vis.

Silver-derivatized silica particles possessing a non-spherical morphology and surface plasmon resonance properties have been achieved. Nanometer-sized silica rods with uniformly sized mesopore channels were prepared first making use of alkyltrimethyl ammonium surfactants as porogens and the 1:0.10 tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) : 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) mixture as a silicon source. Silica rods were subsequently functionalized by introducing elongated silver nanoparticles within the intra-particle mesopores thanks to the AgNO3 reduction procedure based on the action of hemiaminal groups previously located on the mesopore walls. The textural and structural features of the samples were inferred from the combined characterization studies including SEM and TEM microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption at 77 K, powder XRD in the small- and wide-angle region, as well as UV–visible spectroscopy. 129Xe NMR spectroscopy appeared particularly useful to obtain a correct information about the porous structure of rod-shaped silica particles and the silver incorporation within their intra-particle mesopores.

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