Triple hybrid nanomaterials: Dye-Doped silver particles supported on ceramic nanofibers

We describe the synthesis and properties of triple hybrid nanomaterials, composed of three main materials families: an organic molecule, a metal nanocrystal, and ceramic nanofibers (organics@metal/ceramic-nf). Our main model material is composed of titania nanofibers decorated with nanoparticles of silver doped with Congored (CR@Ag/TiO₂-nf), which has been selected because of the demonstrated advantages of CR@Ag as a methanol conversion catalyst. Spherical, regular nanoparticles as small as 20 nm were obtained. We show the potential to control the nanofiber surface coverage from 0 to 100%, rationalizing the results on the basis of a detailed mechanism. This approach has been found to be general, and repeatable successfully also with ZrO₂, Al₂O₃, and Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ nanofibers.