The critical role of water at the gold-titania interface in catalytic CO oxidation

Abstract

Easier oxidation over gold with added water: Gold adsorbed on metal oxides is an excellent catalyst for the room-temperature oxidation of CO to CO ₂ . However, there has been continuing disagreement between different studies on the key aspects of this catalyst. Saveeda et al. now show through kinetics and infrared spectroscopy that the presence of water can lower the reaction activation barrier by enabling OOH groups to form from adsorbed oxygen (see the Perspective by Mullen and Mullins). The OOH then reacts readily with CO. It thus seems that the main role of oxide support and its interface with the metal is in activating water, but that the steps of the reaction that involve CO occur on gold. Science , this issue p. 1599 ; see also p. 1564