The preparation and characterization of Au@TiO2 nanoparticles and their catalytic activity for CO oxidation

Au@TiO₂ core/shell nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple and efficient one-step method using tetrabutyl titanate as TiO₂ precursor. The samples were characterized by TEM, XRD, UV–vis and XPS. The experiments demonstrated that the average particles size of Au was 10–15 nm, and the thickness of TiO₂ shell was 1–3 nm. TiO₂ shell induced a red-shift of the absorption peak of Au. This material exhibited catalytic activity for CO oxidation. This study offered an approach for CO oxidation by using Au@TiO₂ model catalysts.