Patent ID: 11857951
Assignee: CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  C  Y | IPC B  C

Claim 31:
32. A method of preparing a catalyst comprising:
adding a functional group to a silica core having an outer surface to produce a functionalized silica core;
contacting the functionalized silica core with a plurality of catalytic metal nanoparticles having a mean particle diameter of about 1 nm to about 4 nm, wherein the catalytic metal nanoparticles adhere to the surface of the functionalized silica core to produce a functionalized silica core supported catalytic metal nanoparticles;
contacting the functionalized silica core supported catalytic metal nanoparticles with a silicon compound to produce a mesoporous silica shell having an outer surface and an inner surface with the inner surface being inside the outer surface of said mesoporous silica shell proximate to and surrounding the outer surface of said functionalized silica core supported catalytic metal nanoparticles, wherein the outer surface of the mesoporous silica shell has openings leading to pores within the mesoporous silica shell which extend toward the outer surface of said functionalized silica core supported catalytic metal nanoparticles.