Catalytic CO Oxidation over Au Nanoparticles Supported on CeO2 Nanocrystals: Effect of the Au–CeO2 Interface

Gold nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted attention due to their superior catalytic performance in CO oxidation at low temperatures. Along with the size and shape of Au NPs, the catalytic function of Au-catalyzed CO oxidation can be further optimized by controlling the physicochemical properties of oxide-supporting materials. We applied a combinatorial approach of experimental analyses and theoretical interpretations to study the effect of a surface structure of supporting oxides and the corresponding CO oxidation activity of supported Au NPs. We synthesized Au NPs (average d ≈ 3 nm) supported on shape-controlled CeO2 nanocrystals, Au/CeO2 cubes, and Au/CeO2 octahedra for experimental analyses. The catalysts were modeled as Au/CeO2(100) and Au/CeO2(111) via density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The DFT calculations showed that the O–C–O type reaction intermediate could be spontaneously formed at the Au–CeO2(100) interface upon sequential multi-CO adsorption, accelerating CO oxidation via the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism. The additional kinetic process required for O–C–O formation at the Au–CeO2(111) interface slowed down the reaction. The experimental turnover frequency (TOF) of the Au/CeO2 cubes was 4 times greater than that of the Au/CeO2 octahedra (under 0.05 bar CO and 0.13 bar O2). The increasing TOF as a function of CO partial pressure and the positive correlation between the reducibility of CeO2 and the catalytic activity of Au/CeO2 catalysts confirmed the theoretical prediction that CO molecules occupy the surface of Au NPs and that the oxidation of Au-bound CO occurs at the Au–CeO2 interface. Through a comparative study of DFT calculations and in-depth experimental analyses, we provide insights into the catalytic function of CeO2-supported Au NPs toward CO oxidation depending on the shape of CeO2 and ratio of CO/O2.