Active Nonmetallic Au and Pt Species on Ceria-Based Water-Gas Shift Catalysts

Traditional analysis of reactions catalyzed by supported metals involves the structure of the metallic particles. However, we report here that for the class of nanostructured gold– or platinum–cerium oxide catalysts, which are active for the water-gas shift reaction, metal nanoparticles do not participate in the reaction. Nonmetallic gold or platinum species strongly associated with surface cerium-oxygen groups are responsible for the activity.