Au/LaPO4 nanowires: Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic CO oxidation

Au/M-P-O (M   =   Mg, Al, Ca, Fe, Co, Zn, La) catalysts were prepared by loading ca. 1   wt.% gold onto commercial metal phosphate supports by deposition-precipitation with urea (DPU), and tested in CO oxidation. Au/La-P-O showed the highest activity, achieving complete CO conversion at 70   °C. Au/Ca-P-O was the second most active, achieving complete CO conversion at 155   °C. The remaining catalysts were not active below 200   °C. In view of the results, we additionally prepared Au/LaPO 4 nanowires by loading ca. 1   wt.% gold onto LaPO 4 nanowires via DPU. The Au/LaPO 4 nanowires catalyst was even more active, achieving complete CO conversion at 15   °C. The catalysts were characterized by N 2 adsorption-desorption, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and temperature-programmed desorption of O 2 or CO 2 (O 2 -TPD, CO 2 -TPD). Reasons for the higher activity of Au/LaPO 4 nanowires were discussed.