Nanocrystalline gold and gold–palladium as effective catalysts for selective oxidation

The recent interest in oxidation catalysis provides the focus for this article. Until recently, gold has been overlooked as a key component of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. However, the observation in the 1980s that nanocrystalline gold supported on oxides was an effective catalyst for low-temperature carbon monoxide oxidation has now captured the imagination of many researchers. At present, low-temperature carbon monoxide oxidation remains an intensely studied field, but in recent years increased emphasis has been placed on using gold catalysts for selective oxidation. For example, the oxidation of alkanes, alkenes, and alcohols have all been shown to be effective with gold-based catalysts. In addition gold–palladium bimetallic catalysts have been shown to be very effective for the direct formation of hydrogen peroxide, and this will be described in this article.