Hybrid hierarchical patterns of gold nanoparticles and poly(ethylene glycol) microstructures

Hybrid surface micro-patterns composed of topographic structures of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-hydrogels and hierarchical lines of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were fabricated on silicon wafers. Micro-sized lines of Au NPs were first obtained on the surface of a silicon wafer via “micro-contact deprinting”, a method recently developed by our group. Topographic micro-patterns of PEG, of both low and high aspect ratio (AR up to 6), were then aligned on the pre-patterned surface via a procedure adapted from the soft lithographic method MIMIC (Micro-Molding in Capillaries), which is denoted as “adhesive embossing”. The result is a complex surface pattern consisting of alternating flat Au NP lines and thick PEG bars. Such patterns provide novel model surfaces for elucidating the interplay between (bio)chemical and physical cues on cell behavior

A One-Pot Approach to Mesoporous Metal Oxide Ultrathin Film Electrodes Bearing One Metal Nanoparticle per Pore with Enhanced Electrocatalytic Properties

The controlled incorporation of single metal nanoparticles within the pores of mesostructured conducting metal oxide ultrathin films is demonstrated, taking advantage of the controlled metal precursor loading capacities of PS-<i>b</i>-P4VP inverse micellar templates. The presented one-pot approach denoted as Evaporation-Induced Hydrophobic Nanoreactor Templating (EIHNT) unusually involves the nanostructuration of the metal oxide via the hydrophobic shell of the micellar template, while the concomitant nanostructuration of the metal is achieved via its confinement in the hydrophilic micellar core. This approach is applied to tin-rich ITO and gold, to yield unique mesoporous tin-rich ITO ultrathin film electrodes remarkably loaded with one size-controlled gold nanoparticle per pore. Interestingly, the resulting tin-rich ITO-supported gold nanoparticles exhibit improved catalytic activity and durability in electrocatalytic CO oxidation compared to similarly sized gold nanoparticles supported on conventional ITO coatings

A One-Pot Approach to Mesoporous Metal Oxide Ultrathin Film Electrodes Bearing One Metal Nanoparticle per Pore with Enhanced Electrocatalytic Properties

The controlled incorporation of single metal nanoparticles within the pores of mesostructured conducting metal oxide ultrathin films is demonstrated, taking advantage of the controlled metal precursor loading capacities of PS-b-P4VP inverse micellar templates. The presented one-pot approach denoted as Evaporation-Induced Hydrophobic Nanoreactor Templating (EIHNT) unusually involves the nanostructuration of the metal oxide via the hydrophobic shell of the micellar template, while the concomitant nanostructuration of the metal is achieved via its confinement in the hydrophilic micellar core. This approach is applied to tin-rich ITO and gold, to yield unique mesoporous tin-rich ITO ultrathin film electrodes remarkably loaded with one size-controlled gold nanoparticle per pore. Interestingly, the resulting tin-rich ITO-supported gold nanoparticles exhibit improved catalytic activity and durability in electrocatalytic CO oxidation compared to similarly sized gold nanoparticles supported on conventional ITO coatings