Preparation of gold nanoparticle templated germania nanoshells

Germania nanoshells of varying sizes were grown using Au nanoparticles as templates. The specific recognition of the Au nanoparticles functionalized with the peptide sequence T-G-H-Q-S-P-G-A-Y-AA-H lead to the efficient formation of germania nanoshells with Au nanoparticles encapsulated within. The diameter of the germania nanoshells formed depended upon the diameter of the Au nanoparticle used. Au nanoparticles in the size range of 10–100 nm were studied. The shell-like structure of the samples was revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The formation of germania was confirmed by diffraction patterns obtained using XRD and ED. Such materials can be used as colloidal catalysts or as gas storage devices.