A novel and simple in-situ reduction route for the synthesis of an ultra-thin metal nanocoating in the channels of mesoporous silica materials

The synthesis and study of mesoporous materials containing nanoparticles is a fast-developing area of nanoscience and nanotechnology. As the sizes of the particles are confined to the nanoscale, quantum-confinement phenomena are often found as a result of changes in both the density and the effective bandgap of the electronic energy level; the ratio of surface to bulk atoms also increases significantly.([1]) Mesoporous materials containing metal nanoparticles, in particular, have received a great deal of attention owing to their potential applications in catalysis as well as in miniaturized electronic and optical devices.([2-4]) Their location in the pores of porous materials results in their stabilization and modification of their properties. Thus, the synthesis and accurate control of the particle size is very important for these applications.