The Effect of Zinc Oxide Addition to Alumina-Supported Gold Catalyst in Low Temperature Carbon Monoxide Oxidation.

Gold catalysts supported on alumina (Au/Al2O3) and zinc oxide/Al2O3 (Au/ZnO/Al2O3) were prepared by deposition-precipitation with ammonium bicarbonate, and were characterized by nitrogen gas adsorption, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and temperature programmed reduction. The effect of ZnO addition to the surface of Al2O3 on the catalytic activity of Al2O3-supported gold catalysts in carbon monoxide oxidation is discussed in detail. The additions of 4 wt% ZnO loading to Au/Al2O3 showed a higher degree of gold particle dispersion which resulted in higher catalytic activity with Au/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst than with Au/Al2O3 catalyst.