Gold stabilized aqueous sols immobilized on mesoporous CeO2-Al2O3 as catalysts for the preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2010 Oct 15;350(2):435-42. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2010.06.062. Epub 2010 Jul 1.

Abstract

Nanostructured Au/Al(2)O(3)-CeO(2) catalysts with a low content of precious metal (0.9% wt.) were prepared immobilizing two different stabilized Au sols on a high surface area Al(2)O(3)-CeO(2) mixed oxide with a uniform pore size distribution, synthesized by a one-pot methodology. The samples were characterized by elemental analysis, N(2) physisorption, XRPD, TEM and (27)Al-MAS NMR techniques. The catalytic activity of the two samples in the preferential oxidation of CO in excess of H(2) (CO-PROX) was comparatively evaluated in the 35-110 degrees C temperature range. The Au-THPS/AlCe20 sample, prepared immobilizing a sol obtained reducing an aqueous solution of gold tetrachloroaurate salt with bis[tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium sulfate], resulted very active and selective at low temperatures and its catalytic activity was correlated with the structural characteristics of the metal particles and of the ordered mesoporous support.