Abstract: A molecularly imprinted polymer-supported gold nanoparticle (Au/MIP) catalyst, which has the characteristics of specific substrate recognition, was prepared by the template complex of 4-nitrobenzyl alcohol (4-NBA) and hydrogen tetrachloroaurate(111), where Au nanaoparticles were formed by the reduction with NaBH(4) solution and captured by amino groups (-NH(2)) in the cavities of the MIP. The obtained samples were characterized with FT-IR spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The catalytic activity and substrate recognition of the Au/MIP were investigated by the oxidation of substituted benzyl alcohol using H(2)O(2) as the oxidant in water. It was found that the conversion of 4-NBA was up to 75.6% over Au/MIP when using the template molecule of 4-NBA as the substrate. However, the conversion of 4-NBA was only 41.5% over non-imprinted polymer-supported gold nanoparticle (Au/NIP) because no template molecule of 4-NBA was used in the preparation of catalyst. Furthermore, no significant difference of the catalytic activity between the catalysts Au/MIP and Au/NIP was observed when other substituted benzyl alcohols were used as the substrate. These results indicated that the catalytic activity of Au/MIP was related to the structure of substrates. The Au/MIP after removal of the template had molecular recognition shape and sites in the cavities matching to the substrate of 4-NBA molecule. The special recognizable cave of the Au/MIP exhibited unique substrate recognition and therefore improved the catalytic activity
Template and target information: 4-nitrobenzyl alcohol, 4-NBA
Author keywords: molecular imprinted polymer, Gold nanoparticle, substituted benzyl alcohol, catalytic oxidation, substrate recognition

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