Sol derived gold–palladium bimetallic nanoparticles on TiO2: structure and catalytic activity in CO oxidation

Bimetallic AuPd catalysts were prepared by deposition of bimetallic aqueous sols formed in different ways: (i) co-reduction of the precursor Au and Pd ions by Na-citrate/tannic acid mixture, (ii) reduction of Au(III) ions onto preformed Pd sol, and (iii) reduction of Pd(II) ions onto a preformed Au sol. The Au/TiO2 and Pd/TiO2 samples as references were prepared from their respective sols. The structure of the samples was characterized by XRF, XRD, XPS, TEM and CO chemisorption both in the as-prepared state and after calcination and reduction. The catalytic activities of the calcined/reduced catalysts in the CO oxidation were compared. The presence of bimetallic crystalline phases was evidenced in all three samples both in the as prepared and calcined/reduced states, however, various extents of Pd surface enrichment were determined. The catalytic activity of the bimetallic samples regardless of the preparation method, is about the same as that of the mixture of the monometallic samples. No significant synergism is suggested in the present bimetallic samples.