Thermo-sensitive graphene supported gold nanocatalyst: synthesis, characterization and catalytic performance

Graphene has attracted increasing attention as a support for heterogeneous catalysis. Although successful preparation and excellent catalytic performance of many graphene based nanocatalysts have been demonstrated, graphene supported nanocatalysts with turnable catalytic behaviors remain unexplored. In this study, we report a strategy to prepare a graphene supported Au nanocatalyst with thermo-sensitive catalytic behaviors. This smart catalytic system was prepared by introducing the temperature-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPAAm) and Au nanoparticles to graphene oxide (GO) through reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization and direct co-reduction of HAuCl4. The obtained GO–NIPAAm–Au hybrid was systematically characterized and showed interesting thermo-sensitive catalytic activity in the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol.