Dual-functional CeOx fence promoting Au nanocatalyst for CO oxidation under wide working conditions

Abstract

A supported gold catalyst was regarded as one of the most critical heterogeneous catalysts for CO oxidation in auto-emission and fuel cells, but it suffered bottlenecks in achieving high activity and stability under different conditions. Herein, a CeO_x fence with a particular structure was successfully synthesized around Au nanoparticles dispersed in various supports by an auto-redox strategy. The dual-functional properties of this CeO_x fence showed that it can not only enhance the activation of oxygen and activity of CO oxidation, but also stabilize Au nanoparticles in severe conditions. The optimal catalyst showed no deactivation after 100 hours of catalytic reaction at a temperature lower than 20 °C, and maintained high catalytic performance even after three rounds of thermal calcination at 800 °C. This work provides insights into the large-scale synthesis of supported gold catalysts with both superior activity and excellent stability in industrial applications.