One-step synthesis of Ag@PS nanospheres via flash nanoprecipitation

In the work reported, we utilized a facile flash nanoprecipitation process to generate Ag nanoparticles@nanospheres polymer composites. Ag nanoparticles can be loaded onto the polymeric polystyrene (PS) nanosphere surface using a simple and inexpensive method through in situ growth; the amount of loaded Ag nanoparticles and the size of holes on the PS surface prepared by flash nanoprecipitation can be fine-tuned by changing the pH of the water medium and the PS nanoparticles should have a greater specific area. The as-synthesized Ag@PS composite nanoparticles obtained via the one-step and continuous preparation route show high catalytic activity in the reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol. Importantly, the nanoparticles show no loss of catalytic performance over five cycles.