Structural Control of Hybrid Colloidal Particle Surface by Plasma-etching Treatment

A reactive-ion etching system was used to control the surface of gold-polystyrene hybrid colloidal particles with an eccentric structure, and a function of the etched particles was demonstrated as a metal catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to corresponding aminophenol. Findings of this study provide insights on tuning the structure and property of hybrid colloidal particles.