The preparation and characterization of Au@TiO2 nanoparticles and their catalytic activity for CO oxidation

Au@TiO2 core/shell nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple and efficient one-step method using tetrabutyl titanate as TiO2 precursor. The samples were characterized by TEM, XRD, UV–vis and XPS. The experiments demonstrated that the average particles size of Au was 10–15 nm, and the thickness of TiO2 shell was 1–3 nm. TiO2 shell induced a red-shift of the absorption peak of Au. This material exhibited catalytic activity for CO oxidation. This study offered an approach for CO oxidation by using Au@TiO2 model catalysts.