Au–Pd Nanostars with Low Pd Content: Controllable Preparation and Remarkable Performance in Catalysis

Bimetallic nanoparticles consisting of gold (Au) and palladium (Pd) have attracted considerable attention because of their effective catalysis for many chemical reactions. They are highly expected to help in the preparation of Au–Pd nanocatalysts with a controllable structure, morphology, and composition. Here, we show that Au–Pd nanostars (NSs) with tunable surface plasmon resonance absorption (from 536 to 583 nm), nanoparticle size, and palladium content (less than 7 wt %) can be obtained by adjusting the ratio of ascorbic acid and chloroauric acid. These synthesized Au–Pd NSs could be utilized efficiently for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol and nitrobenzene and the Suzuki coupling reaction. Their enhanced catalytic activity could be due to their easy accessibility of the active sites, star-like structure, and Pd-rich surface. The systematic synthesis reported in this work will not only give researchers new insights into the controllable preparation of bimetallic nanoparticles but may also inspire further studies of multifunctional nanocatalysts.