Create the finest gold in the world

2019/08/06 Elhuyar Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Materialak

Researchers at Leeds University have created gold nanoxaflas of only two atoms thick. They are so fine that they are considered two-dimensional materials. It has been announced that they can have eleven applications in both medicine and electronics and as catalysts for chemical reactions in different industrial processes.

It has already been seen in the laboratory that they are ten times more efficient as catalysts than the nanoparticles currently used in the industry. In fact, in gold nanoparticles most atoms remain inside the particle, while in nanoxafatas all particles are on the surface and all can participate in catalysis.

The researchers underlined that this achievement can enable more efficient use of gold and, at the same time, open the way to generate more metals in two dimensions.