Metallic Ag arrays assembled in nanoporous VSB-5 nanocrystals by a simple method: A novel catalyst for the synthesis of olefin aldehyde from styrene

Needle-like nanoporous VSB-5 crystals with the crystal diameters of about 50-100 nm were prepared. Ordered uniform-sized 1.10 nm Ag(0) arrays were successfully assembled in the channels or pores of these VSB-5 nanocrystals, which exhibited a UV-vis surface plasmon resonance absorption peak at 355 nm with a narrow full width of half maximum (FWHM) of about 35 nm. The catalytic activity of these Ag(0)-VSB-5 composites was investigated and it was found to be highly efficient catalysts for the syntheses of olefin aldehyde from styrene.