Thermal Reverse-Engineered Synthesis and Catalytic Activity of Nanogold-Containing Silica Aerogels.

Silica aerogels are extensively used as catalyst supports due to their mesoporous structure and chemical inertness. In this study, SiO-AuNP aerogels containing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized using the sol-gel method followed by supercritical CO drying. The inclusion of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as a stabilizing agent preserved the gold particle sizes during the gelation process.