Catalysis on gold-nanoparticle-passivating monolayers

Clusters of gold atoms in the range 1–100 nm of diameter are unstable and tend to aggregate to form insoluble materials but become very stable once passivated with a monolayer of organic molecules typically anchored on the surface via an Au–S bond. The properties of this monolayer as a reaction loci constitute the topic of this overview of the recent literature. In analyzing the examples reported with functionalized monolayers we show how efficient catalysts these systems may become. Several data point out the occurrence of unusual reaction pathways and significant cooperativity between functional groups not observed not only in monomeric equivalent catalysts but also in other aggregation colloids like micelle and vesicles. The picture that emerges is that of a unique environment mimicking several features of enzymatic processes.

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► Gold nanoparticle catalysis is unique with respect to other association colloids.
► Gold nanoparticle catalysis shows clear evidence of cooperativity.
► Gold nanoparticle catalysis introduces new catalytic pathways.
► Gold nanoparticle catalysis is a powerful tool for amplified enzyme sensing.