Applied Surface Science 321 (2014) 136–143 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Applied Surface Science journal h om epa ge: www.elsevier.com/locate/apsusc Plasmon resonance of gold nanoparticles supported on Y-zeolite in the presence of various co-cations Elena Smolentseva a,∗ , Catalina López-Bastidas a , Vitalii Petranovskii a,b , Roberto Machorro a a Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología, Km. 107 Carretera Tijuana a Ensenada, C.P. 22860 Ensenada, Baja California, México b Departamento de Investigación en Zeolitas, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, México a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 23 May 2014 Received in revised form 1 September 2014 Accepted 29 September 2014 Available online 7 October 2014 Keywords: Gold nanoparticles Plasmon resonance Y-zeolite Sodium, copper Nickel Iron a b s t r a c t Gold nanoparticles supported on Y-zeolite were prepared using the [Au(NH 3 ) 4 ](NO 3 ) 3 complex as gold precursor. The differences in the formation of gold nanoparticles in the presence of various co-cations (Na, Cu, Ni or Fe) were discussed in this work. The shift in the plasmon peak observed in the UV–vis spectra for different sample compositions was linked with variation in Au nanoparticle size, as well as changes in the sample chemical composition under thermal treatment. Theoretical spectra for Au nanoparticles supported on modified zeolites were obtained applying an average field model. Qualitative comparison of the data with the theoretical spectra yields insight into the role of distinct co-cations in the system. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Small metal particles (nanoparticles, NPs) appear in many mate- rials of practical importance such as catalysts, sensors, optical devices, metallopolymers, etc. [1–4]. Electrons in metallic NPs are confined to the nanometric dimensions of the particle and exhibit size-dependent electronic properties [2,5]. As an example the development of gold chemistry proceeded from the bulk scale to NPs, when gold converts from a distinctly inert metal to a ver- satile and chemically very active material. The behavior of gold NPs makes them very interesting as catalysts for environmental applications, ranging from the oxidation of CO and volatile organic compounds in environmental technologies to the production of hydrogen, a non-polluting energy source, in the water–gas shift reaction [6]. Currently, gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) are used in many areas [7–11]. Among the most modern applications are those in medicine, especially in cancer treatment [12–14]. The characteristics of the interaction between Au NPs and organic molecules can lead to a wide range of technological applications. The interaction between NPs and organic molecules leads to energy exchange between ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +52 646 175 06 50x733. E-mail address: elena@cnyn.unam.mx (E. Smolentseva). components of the system and gives rise to applications in plas- monic sensing [15]. Supported metal nanoparticles dispersed over supports are widely used as heterogeneous catalysts in fine chem- istry, energy-related applications and environmental remediation. The compositional and structural complexity of such nanosized systems offers many degrees of freedom for tuning their catalytic properties [7–10,16,17]. The design of heterogeneous catalysts remains an important goal in materials research. The control of gold particle size allows tailoring the proper- ties of Au NPs [18]. The nucleation and growth of clusters and nanoparticles has been widely studied both experimentally and theoretically; however, simultaneous theoretical and experimen- tal investigations are not common [19]. Until now there is no clear model to explain what happens during the nucleation of transition metal NPs on the support surface or of the reaction kinetics of NP aggregation in the presence of modifying additives. The usage of different types of supporting materials leads to variations in sim- plicity, efficiency, resultant particle size, and gold dispersion [6]. Experimental efforts are needed to understand how the support interacts with Au NPs, how its composition influences the final NP properties, and to elaborate protocols to choose and use adequate supports. The metal–support interaction plays an essential role in the catalysis by Au NPs [20–22]. Among oxide supports, zeolites are advantageous due to their high surface area, ion-exchange ability, and the stabilization of http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.09.188 0169-4332/© 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.