Design of nano-sized FeO sub(x and Au/FeO) sub(x) catalysts supported on CeO sub(2 for total oxidation of VOC)

The total oxidation of methanol and toluene, chosen as representative VOCs, was investigated over CeO sub(2-supported Au/FeO) sub(x) catalysts prepared utilizing the bimetallic carbonyl cluster salt [NEt sub(4][AuFe) sub(4)(CO) sub(16]. Characterization data showed that the catalysts prepared by the reported method exhibit highly and homogeneously dispersed iron oxide species on the ceria support together with small gold nanoparticles, whose size increases on increasing the amount of gold/iron. Addition of iron oxide species did not substantially increase the methanol combustion activity of ceria, whereas the presence of the mixed gold and FeO) sub(x) species has been found to strongly enhance the activity towards the total oxidation of methanol. In the case of the toluene combustion the addition of FeO sub(x or FeO) sub(x)/Au species caused a significant decrease in the activity of the bare CeO sub(2. The above catalytic behavior was rationalized on the basis of different interactions occurring among gold, iron oxide and cerium oxide, which synergically affects both the reactivity of the surface oxygen and the capacity of the support to adsorb the organic reactant.)