High Activity of Gold/Tin-Dioxide Catalysts for Low-Temperature CO Oxidation: Application of a Reducible Metal Oxide to a Catalyst Support

Au/SnO2 catalysts were prepared by both the solid grinding (SG) method and the deposition precipitation (DP) method. Compared to samples prepared by the DP method, the SG samples showed remarkably high activity for low-temperature CO oxidation, because of a more efficient Au deposition on SnO2 by the SG method. Detailed analysis revealed that the perimeter interface between Au and SnO2 is the active site for catalysis. The present results suggest that the activity of Au/oxide catalysts is associated with the reducibility of the metal oxide supports at the perimeter interface.