Synthesis of multiple Ag nanoparticles loaded hollow mesoporous carbon spheres for highly efficient and recyclable catalysis

Multiple Ag nanoparticles loaded hollow mesoporous carbon spheres (Ag@HMCSs) are successfully synthesized through a “soft-to-hard templating” approach. In this method, polyacrylic acid (PAA) colloids are used as stabilizers for Ag nanoparticles and serve as soft templates for a sol-gel process with tetraethyl orthosilicate and polymerization process of resorcinol-formaldehyde resin (RF resin) in one pot. Ag@HMCSs are obtained after carbonization of the RF resin layer and selectively etching the SiO 2 component. Ag@HMCSs exhibit a spherical morphology with a mean size of approximately 140 nm and a high surface area of 239.67 m 2  g −1 , and the average size of encapsulated silver nanoparticles are about 10 nm without aggregation. The prepared Ag@HMCSs show excellent catalytic activity and stability for reduction of 4-nitrophenol, Congo red, and Rhodamine B. Therefore, this “soft-to-hard templating” approach represents a promising strategy for the preparation of high-performance carbon nanoparticle-supported catalysts.