Issue 1, 2011

Understanding the effect of thermal treatments on the structure of CuAu/SiO2catalysts and their performance in propene oxidation

Abstract

The synthesis and catalytic application of supported CuAu is discussed. Different thermal treatments of a dried precursor of copper nitrate and tetrachloroauric acid on silica lead to catalysts with significantly different structures and properties. Direct calcination gives a catalyst which contains very large gold ensembles with minimal interaction with the copper present. Hydrogen reduction of the dried precursor leads to the formation of copper–gold alloy nanoparticles. Subsequent high temperature calcination de-alloys the copper from the gold to a significant extent. The presence of gold stabilises the formation of Cu+ on this catalyst. The activity and selectivity observed in the oxidation of propene with molecular oxygen, with or without co-fed hydrogen, depends on the pre-treatment, reaction conditions and the ratio of copper to gold in the catalyst. A number of different catalytic active sites are identified and discussed.

Graphical abstract: Understanding the effect of thermal treatments on the structure of CuAu/SiO2 catalysts and their performance in propene oxidation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Oct 2010
Accepted
17 Nov 2010
First published
31 Jan 2011

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011,1, 76-85

Understanding the effect of thermal treatments on the structure of CuAu/SiO2 catalysts and their performance in propene oxidation

C. L. Bracey, A. F. Carley, J. K. Edwards, P. R. Ellis and G. J. Hutchings, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011, 1, 76 DOI: 10.1039/C0CY00003E

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