Au/CuSiO3 nanotubes: High-performance robust catalysts for selective oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde

Novel gold-supporting silicate nanotubes are synthesized via a hydrothermal method followed by colloid deposition. Their catalytic performance for the selective oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde is assessed. The results show that Au/CuSiO3 nanotubes exhibit both high activity and selectivity at high gas hourly space velocity (GHSV). Ethanol conversion can reach up to ~98%, and the selectivity for acetaldehyde is ~93% at 250 °C and ~100,000 mL·gcat–1·h–1. In comparison, the catalytic activity of Au/MgSiO3 nanotubes is relatively low, and ethanol conversion reaches only ~25% at 250 °C. However, when Cu species are added to Au/MgSiO3, the catalytic activity improves significantly, indicating that the interactions between Au nanoparticles and Cu species are responsible for the high performance for selective oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde.