Metal nanoparticles: synthesis and characterization

Metal nanoparticles (M-NPs) are currently emerging as a new class of catalysts, due to their different properties from the mono- or polynuclear complexes typically encountered in homogeneous catalysis, but also different from metal surfaces.

The term nanocatalysis has recently been introduced to designate the use of these M-NPs as catalysts, mainly applied so far to oxidation catalysis by activation of molecular oxygen O ₂ , but also reduction catalysis in the presence of heteroelement hydrides such as boron, environmental catalysis (transformation of CO and NO _x in exhaust gases), or fuel cells and energy storage