Formation and electrochemical behaviour of polyoxometalate-capped gold nanoparticles assembly electrode

The functionalized gold nanoparticles capped with polyoxometalates were prepared by a simple photoreduction technique in the presence of phosphododecamolybdate (PMo₁₂) to serve as reducing reagents, photocatalysts, and stabilizers. Monolayer and multilayer structures of the negatively charged PMo₁₂-capped gold nanoparticles (PMo₁₂-NGs) were constructed on a polyvinylpyridine-derivatized indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) electrode through layer-by-layer self-assembly technique. The PMo₁₂-NGs modified ITO electrode exhibits the characteristic electrochemical behaviour of the surface confined PMo₁₂: multi-step reversible redox reactions. Excellent catalytic activity for the reduction of iodate was obtained on the modified electrode.