Boosting the catalysis of gold by O(2) activation at Au-SiO(2) interface

Supported gold (Au) nanocatalysts have attracted extensive interests in the past decades because of their unique catalytic properties for a number of key chemical reactions, especially in (selective) oxidations. The activation of O(2) on Au nanocatalysts is crucial and remains a challenge because only small Au nanoparticles (NPs) can effectively activate O(2). This severely limits their practical application because Au NPs inevitably sinter into larger ones during reaction due to their low Taman temperature. Here we construct a Au-SiO(2) interface by depositing thin SiO(2) layer onto Au/TiO(2) and calcination at high temperatures and demonstrate that the interface can be not only highly sintering resistant but also extremely active for O(2) activation. This work provides insights into the catalysis of Au nanocatalysts and paves a way for the design and development of highly active supported Au catalysts with excellent thermal stability.