Gold Nanoparticles Supported on Alumina as a Catalyst for Surface Plasmon-Enhanced Selective Reductions of Nitrobenzene

[Image: see text] Au nanoparticles supported on alumina (Au/Al(2)O(3)) with average particle size of 3.9 ± 0.7 nm and surface plasmon band centerned at 516.5 nm were prepared by deposition–precipitation method, and their photocatalytic activities for the reduction of nitrobenzene using either formic acid in acetonitrile (method A) or KOH in 2-propanol (method B) were investigated. Even at room temperature, the Au/Al(2)O(3) was found to be highly active and selective for conversion of nitrobenzene to aniline when used with formic acid in acetonitrile or to azobenzene when performed with KOH in 2-propanol under irradiation with green light-emitting diode (517 nm).