Self-Assembled Highly Ordered Spherical Mesoporous Silica/Gold Nanocomposites

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles act as seeds for the growth of mesoporous silica shells according to the method described here for the synthesis of silica/gold nanocomposites. It is shown that the silica matrix is highly crystalline with mesopores that extend throughout the structure. The Figure depicts the procedure used and the resulting nanocomposite morphology.