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The MnO2-based heterogeneous catalyst has been considered as one of the most efficient catalysts for enzyme-like catalysis, however, it usually suffers from low stability and difficulty in recycling and reuse. Herein, MnO2 nanosheets supported on nickel foam (NF@MnO2) have been fabricated, via a facile one-step hydrothermal process, as an artificial oxidase for the detection and quantification of ascorbic acid (AA). NF, as a magnetic support, possesses a three-dimensional (3D) skeleton and excellent conductivity, which greatly facilitate the utilization of active sites, electron transfer, as well as separation from the solution with an external magnet. Owing to this unique architecture and the synergistic effect between NF and MnO2, the designed NF@MnO2 composites show enhanced enzyme-like activity toward the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) as compared to NF or MnO2 alone. By virtue of the reducing ability of ascorbic acid (AA), the AA selectively inhibited this reaction with a detection limit of 0.1 μM. More importantly, this kind of NF-based design can be easily extended to the synthesis of other functional materials for enzyme-like catalytic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The encapsulation of small non-noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) within an inorganic layer has received considerable attention owing to their enhanced stability and high catalytic activity. Using a combination of emulsion-free polymerization, inner RF-Ni2+ and outer SiO2 coating, and subsequent carbonization treatment, herein, we have fabricated worm-like structured Ni-based composites in which a high density of nickel NPs are embedded in a carbon layer and also entrapped by SiO2 nanocages. We find that the carbonization temperature plays a vital role in adjusting the size of the Ni NPs. A detailed examination of the encapsulated nickel particles synthesized at 700 °C exhibited the best performance on the catalysis of the reduction of 4-NPs. Moreover, owing to the good alloying ability of the Ni NPs with noble metal NPs, the Ni–Pd alloy NPs are also entrapped in the SiO2 nanocages, which exhibit better performance on the catalysis than the Ni-based composites. The encapsulation of Ni–Pd alloys within SiO2 nanocages also improves stability against agglomeration and metal separation during catalytic operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]