Facile One-Pot Synthesis of Functional Gold Nanoparticle-Polymer Hybrids Using Ionic Block Copolymers as a Nanoreactor

A highly versatile approach to fabricate functional gold nanoparticle (AuNP)‐polymer hybrids is demonstrated by employing sulfonated block copolymers. The 3–5 nm sized ionic domain of the sulfonated poly(styrene‐block‐methylbutylene) (SnMBm) copolymers can be utilized as a nanoreactor where the Au ions can be selectively sequestered and reduced to AuNPs using a simple photochemical method. The size of the AuNPs can be adjusted in fine‐steps from 2.0 ± 0.3 to 3.9 ± 0.5 nm by changing the sulfonation levels of the SnMBm copolymers. Remarkably, significantly improved methanol oxidation properties are achieved with the hybrid materials owing to the ion conducting–SO3H groups and the interconnected network of AuNPs confined within the self‐assembled microstructures, which provides electronic conductivity. The facile one‐pot synthesis of the functional AuNPs‐ionic block copolymer hybrids using a simple photochemical method. The sulfonated block copolymers containing ionic domains were proven to be efficient nanoreactors for the synthesis of uniform AuNPs and the hierarchical arrangement of AuNPs into well‐defined nanostructures, which play a key role in optoelectronic and catalytic properties.