Influence of Stabilizers on the Performance of Au/TiO₂ Catalysts for CO Oxidation

Stabilizers are commonly employed to synthesize nanocrystals with well-defined morphologies and size distributions, making them ideal tools study structure–activity relationships in heterogeneous catalysts. While it is well documented that stabilizers can influence both the structure of nanocrystals, little emphasis has been placed on how properties these species catalytic performance. Herein, different polymers (poly-sodium acrylate (PNaA), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), pyrrolidone) (PVP)) monomer sodium (NaA) were used as for synthesis Au nanoparticles supported TiO2. The mean particle all catalysts was comparable regardless stabilizer used; however, activity toward CO oxidation differed markedly. decreased sequence Au/TiO2 > (PNaA) (none) (PVA) (PVP), despite catalyst possessing a larger size, suggesting active site blocking due steric nature polymer species. According UV–vis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFTS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), absorption (XAS), composition analysis experiments, concluded enhanced attributed large proportions low coordinate step/kink sites. It be noted electronic interactions between NaA HAuCl4 facilitated production nanoparticles. Our findings highlight physicochemical profoundly reactivity metal prepared by sol-immobilization. These observations various have morphology provides an explanation using common forms such PVA PVP.