Rattle-type microspheres as a support of tiny gold nanoparticles for highly efficient catalysis.

SiO(2)/poly(ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate) (PEGDMA) rattle-type microspheres loaded with tiny sized gold nanoparticles (~2 nm) were prepared through a facile and novel method. Catalyzed reduction of 4-nitrophenol with NaBH(4) demonstrated that this rattle-type microsphere possessed high catalytic efficiency. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011