Synergistic effect in an Au-Ag alloy nanocatalyst: CO oxidation

J Phys Chem B. 2005 Jan 13;109(1):40-3. doi: 10.1021/jp044938g.

Abstract

Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles supported on mesoporous aluminosilicate have been prepared by one-pot synthesis using hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) both as a stabilizing agent for nanoparticles and as a template for the formation of mesoporous structure. The formation of Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Although the Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles have a larger particle size than the monometallic gold particles, they exhibited exceptionally high activity in catalysis for low-temperature CO oxidation. Even at a low temperature of 250 K, the reaction rate can reach 8.7 x 10(-6) mol.g(cat.)(-1).s(-1) at an Au/Ag molar ratio of 3/1. While neither monometallic Au@MCM-41 nor Ag@MCM-41 shows activity at this temperature, the Au-Ag alloy system shows a strongly synergistic effect in high catalytic activity. In this alloy system, the size effect is no longer a critical factor, whereas Ag is believed to play a key role in the activation of oxygen.

Publication types

  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Alloys / chemistry*
  • Aluminum Silicates / chemical synthesis
  • Aluminum Silicates / chemistry
  • Carbon Monoxide / chemistry*
  • Catalysis
  • Cetrimonium
  • Cetrimonium Compounds / chemistry
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Particle Size
  • Porosity
  • Silver / chemistry*
  • Surface Properties
  • Temperature
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Alloys
  • Aluminum Silicates
  • Cetrimonium Compounds
  • aluminosilicate
  • Silver
  • Gold
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Cetrimonium