Single-nanoparticle resolved enzyme-mimicking electrochemical catalysis.
Nanoparticles represent a wide range of nanostructures with significant applications in the fields of catalysis, advanced energy technology and biology. The evaluation of their catalytic efficiency at the single-particle level is of crucial importance in both fundamental understanding and technological applications, but it remains a challenge.
Former PhD student Nan Zhu, Professor Jens Ulstrup and Associate professor Qijin Chi from DTU Chemistry have demonstrated the synthesis of highly stable and water-soluble mixed-valence nanoparticles under mild conditions and mapped their enzyme-mimicking catalytic properties and controlled electron transfer to single-nanoparticle resolution.
This is achieved by using a combination of surface-assembly chemistry, electrochemistry and liquid atomic force microscopy.
The new results are published in ACS Catalysis, one of the top journals in catalysis science.