Gold Catalysts

Dear Colleagues,

The interest in using gold as a catalyst component has increased during the last 20 years since the surprisingly high activity in CO oxidation at low temperature was reported for small (3-5 nm) gold particles supported on various oxides. Nowadays, the catalytic applications of gold are explored in several processes, such as CO oxidation, PROX reaction, WGS reaction, NOx and VOCs abatement, hydrotreatment, chemical processing. However, the attainment of the best performing supported gold catalyst is still a challenge. The main reason for this is ascribed to the multiplicity of factors influencing the catalytic activity. The catalytic performances of gold nanoparticles have been correlated in turn with electronic (quantum size effect, oxidation state), structural and support effects (defects, perimeter interface, reducible oxide), but a general consensus has not been reached.  Most of the properties which make active a catalyst strongly depend on the preparation method and pretreatment conditions, therefore, it is difficult to generalize on the basis of catalysts differently prepared and operating under different conditions. Moreover, up to now key questions concerning the reaction mechanisms and the nature of active sites are still matter of debate.

In this special issue we aim at covering recent progress and novel trends in the fields of gold catalysts ranging from the basic research and characterization (TEM, XPS, EXAFS, XRD, FT-IR) studies to the development of new gold catalyst formulations of environmental importance and industrial applications.

Dr. Leonarda F. Liotta
Guest Editor