Synthesis of controllable monodisperse gold nanoparticles using wood material and their catalytic activity for p-nitrophenol reduction

Monodisperse gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with sizes between 2.3 and 23.1 nm were synthesized with the assistance of a natural wood material as a reductant/dispersant. The average diameter of the Au NPs could be controlled by varying the concentration of the Au precursor, and the size distribution could be improved by the addition of NaOH. The different growing processes of Au NPs with and without NaOH were comprehensively studied. The obtained wood-supported Au NPs showed high catalytic activity for the reduction of p-nitrophenol as a model reaction. Moreover, Au NPs with smaller sizes exhibited higher catalytic activity and the catalyst could be easily recovered via centrifugation for reuse.