Synthesis and catalytic performance of multiple gold nanodots core-mesoporous silica shell nanoparticles

Multiple Au nanodots core-mesoporous silica shell nanoparticles (multi-Au@mesoporous-SiO2 NPs), which showed much higher catalytic activity in the reduction of 4-aminophenol than other Au core-silica shell nanoparticles, were thermally synthesized in an aqueous media. The enhanced catalytic activity is mainly due to the efficient diffusion of reactants onto the multiple Au nanodots through mesopores within the silica shell.