The Role of Particles and Clusters Size on the Catalytic Activity of Different Types of Gold Nanocatalysts for Benzyl Alcohol Oxidation

Abstract

: In this paper, activation procedures under size effects of some gold nanoparticles (Au₁₀₁, Au_naked and Au_citrate) and nanoclusters (Au₈ and Au₉) immobilized on powder Norit^® activated carbon (abbreviated to AC) and/or Vulcan carbon (abbreviated to VC) on the catalytic activity of gold nanocatalysts were studied. The gold nanostructures were activated through the washing procedure with a base in MilliQ water or hot toluene and then followed by heating in static air (abbreviated to W+S) or under vacuum (abbreviated to W+V) at 100 °C for 3 h. The highest activity of gold nanocatalysts for benzyl alcohol oxidation was obtained for activated (W+V) ‘naked’ gold nanoparticles immobilized on Norit^® activated carbon when the gold nanoparticle diameters was ~4.4 nm.