Acetone-Treated Au Nanoparticles Supported on CeO₂ for the Wet Air Oxidation of Dimethylformamide

Au–CeO 2 catalysts have recently emerged as promising candidates for various oxidation reactions. However, their intrinsic selectivity properties remain a key challenge, largely attributed to fragile catalyst structures. Herein, a modified deposition (DM) technique was designed to anchor pretreated Au nanoparticles (refluxed in acetone) onto CeO 2 (Au/CeO 2 –Ace). Under various treatments, the catalysts underwent notable transformations in surface elemental compositions, oxygen vacancies within CeO 2, nanoparticle size, and the electronic state of Au. Subsequently, an in-depth analysis was performed to evaluate the activity and selectivity of N 2 for the oxidation of N, N -dimethylformamide (DMF). The results revealed that the catalytic performance is associated with the nanophysical properties of the surface elements, higher oxygen vacancies, and the valence ratio of Au. The Au/CeO 2 –Ace catalysts demonstrated the highest activity for DMF with 77.5% TOC conversion, TOF 95.6 h –1, and 67% N 2 selectivity, while the prepared conventional Au/CeO 2 catalyst showed 74.7% TOC conversion, TOF 91.4 h –1, and 36.5% N 2 selectivity at 180 °C and 1 MPa O 2 . Our present study indicates that the fabricated Au/CeO 2 –Ace catalysts with unique reformed properties can be potentially applicable for DMF treatment and industrial applications.