Facile deposition of gold nanoparticles on C 60 microcrystals with unique shapes

Gold nanoparticles were densely deposited on the surface of C60 microcrystals having a variety of unique shapes. C60 microcrystals were prepared by a conventional liquid-liquid reprecipitation method. The shapes of C60 microcrystals, such as bipyramid, belt, disc, and rod, were achieved by carefully adjusting the solvent species in the liquid-liquid reprecipitation process. Gold nanoparticles were directly deposited on C60 microcrystals without adding any conventional reducing agent but only heating HAuCl4 in C60 microcrystals ethanol dispersion con- taining CS2. Scanning electron microscopy, transmis- sion electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies were conducted to characterize the gold-C60 heterostructure. The gold-C60 heterostructure showed charge transfer behaviour where gold was an electron donor and C60 was an electron acceptor. C60 micro- crystals-supported gold nanoparticles also showed catalytic activity in reduction of p-nitrophenol at room temperature. A facile reduction mechanism was sug- gested for gold deposition on the surface of C60 microcrystals.