Identification of the key steps in the self-assembly of homogeneous gold metal nanoparticles produced using inverse micelles.

The self-assembly of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) using polymer-encapsulated inverse micelles was studied using a set of advanced X-ray techniques (i.e. XAFS, SAXS) in addition to DLS, UV-vis spectroscopy and TEM.

Reversible restructuring of supported Au nanoparticles during butadiene hydrogenation revealed by operando GISAXS/GIWAXS.

Periodically arranged, monodisperse gold nanoparticles supported on flat silicon substrates were studied for the hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene under operando conditions using Grazing Incidence Small- and Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (GISAXS/GIWAXS). It was found that the composition and shape of the nanoparticles depends very much on the chemical environment; the particles are shown to be dynamic, undergoing reversible size and shape change particularly during catalytic reaction, highlighting a dynamism often not observed in traditional studies. Specifically, the size of the Au nanoparticles increases during butadiene hydrogenation and this is attributed to the partial removal of a AuO at the metal-oxide interface and consequential shape change of the nanoparticle from a more hemispherical particle to a particle with a larger height to width ratio.