Nanostructuring gold wires as highly durable nanocatalysts for selective reduction of nitro compounds and azides with organosilanes

A general method is developed to prepare durable hybrid nanocatalysts by nanostructuring the surface of gold wires via simple alloying and dealloying. The resulting nanoporous gold/Au (NPG/Au) wire catalysts possess nanoporous skins with their thicknesses on robust metal wires specified in a highly controllable manner. As a demonstration, the as-obtained NPG/Au was shown to be a highly active, chemo-selective, and recyclable catalyst for the reduction of nitro compounds and azides using organosilanes as reducing agents.