Kinetics-controlled growth of bimetallic RhAg on Au nanorods and their catalytic properties

Controlled growth of hybrid metallic nanocomposites for a desirable structure in a combination of selected components is highly important for their applications. Herein, the controllable growth of RhAg on the gold nanorods is achieved from the dumbbell-like RhAg-tipped nanorods to the brushy RhAg-coated nanorods, or the rod-like Au@Ag-Rh nanorattles. These different growth modes of RhAg on the gold nanorods are correlated with the reducing kinetics of RhCl₃ and AgNO₃. In view of the promising catalytic properties of Rh, the gold nanorods modified by RhAg in different structures are examined as catalysts for the oxidation of o-phenylenediamine. It is found that brushy RhAg-coated nanorods present a higher catalytic efficiency than dumbbell-like RhAg-tipped nanorods and rod-like Au@Ag-Rh nanorattles. These results would benefit the overgrowth control on the one-dimensional metallic nanorods and the rational design of new generation heterogeneous catalysts and optical devices.