The Effect of Surface Morphology of Silver Nanoparticles on the Selectivity of Styrene Epoxidation

Catalytic materials at the nanoscale level have an enormous impact on sustainable environmental protection, which is important for the future. Therefore, the researchers will intensively carry out the design of catalytic materials with well-ordered surface structures. In more detail, morphology-controlled nanoparticles have special interactions with the reactants that increase catalytic performance and influence the selectivity for catalytic reactions. For those reasons, obtaining specifically surface structure-tuned nanocrystals having different surface arrangements is a significant priority that promises the best model relationship between well-oriented surface structure and catalytic performance. In this study, silver nanocrystals shaped with cubes, truncated octahedrons, and octahedrons were produced. Their catalytic behaviors were examined as an innovation for epoxidation/oxidation reactions of styrene in mild conditions. The morphological and surface characterizations of nanocrystals were determined by analytical and instrumental methods such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy energy dispersive X-ray (HR-TEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), as well as inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). According to the results, nanoparticles having different surface-facets fractions can be employed to increase the selectivity of styrene epoxide.