Well-Defined Metal Nanoparticles@Covalent Organic Framework Yolk-Shell Nanocages by ZIF-8 Template as Catalytic Nanoreactors

Yolk-shell nanoreactors have received considerable interest for use in catalysis. However, the controlled synthesis of continuous crystalline shells without imperfections or cracks remains challenging. Here, a strategy for the synthesis of yolk-shell metal nanoparticles@covalent organic framework (MNPs@COF) nanoreactors by using MNPs@ZIF-8 core-shell nanostructures as a self-template is designed and developed. The COF shell is formed through an amorphous-to-crystalline transformation process of a polyimine shell in a mildly acidic solution, while the ZIF-8 is etched in situ, generating a void space between the MNPs core and the COF shell. With the protection of the COF shell, multiple ligand-free MNPs are confined inside of the hollow nanocages. Importantly, the synthetic strategy can be generalized to engineer the functions and properties of the designed yolk-shell nanocages by varying the structure of the COF shell and/or the composition of the core MNPs. Representative Pd@H-TpPa yolk-shell nanocages with active Pd NP cores and permeable TpPa shells exhibit high catalytic activity and stability in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol by NaBH4 at room temperature.