2017/03/30 by Grazia Malta, Simon A. Kondrat, Simon J. Freakley +12 · 1 voice · 4 citations
Materials Science · Chemical Engineering · Engineering · #Catalytic Processes in Materials Science #Catalysis and Oxidation Reactions #Catalysis and Hydrodesulfurization Studies
paper · doi:10.1126/science.aal3439
openalex publication_date 2017/03/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
There remains considerable debate over the active form of gold under operating conditions of a recently validated gold catalyst for acetylene hydrochlorination. We have performed an in situ x-ray absorption fine structure study of gold/carbon (Au/C) catalysts under acetylene hydrochlorination reaction conditions and show that highly active catalysts comprise single-site cationic Au entities whose activity correlates with the ratio of Au(I):Au(III) present. We demonstrate that these Au/C catalysts are supported analogs of single-site homogeneous Au catalysts and propose a mechanism, supported by computational modeling, based on a redox couple of Au(I)-Au(III) species.