Preparation of [C60]Fullerene Nanowhisker-gold Nanoparticle Composites and Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol through Catalysis

A gold nanoparticle solution was prepared by adding sodium borohydride (NaBH4), trisodium citrate dihydrate (C6H5Na3O7 center dot 2H(2)O), cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB,(C16H33)N(CH3)(3)Br), ascorbic acid (C6H8O6), and potassium tetrachloroaurate(III)(KAuCl4) to distilled water and stirring the solution for 15 min. [C-60] fullerene nanowhisker-gold nanoparticle composites were synthesized using C-60-saturated toluene, the gold nanoparticle solution, and isopropyl alcohol by liquid-liquid interfacial precipitation (LLIP). The product of the nanocomposites was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and solid-state C-13-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The catalytic activity of the [C-60] fullerene nanowhisker-gold nanoparticle composites was confirmed in 4-nitrophenol reduction by UV-vis spectroscopy.