Vital Role of Moisture in the Catalytic Activity of Supported Gold Nanoparticles

Supported gold nanoparticles exhibit high catalytic activity not only at low temperatures, but also under the presence of moisture. The effect of moisture on CO oxidation over Au/TiO2, Au/Al2O3, and Au/SiO2 was studied at 273 K. It was found that the catalytic activities are enhanced by moisture by up to two orders of magnitude, and that the moisture effect depends on the type of oxide support (see picture, TOF=turnover frequency).