Investigation on the Stability of Supported Gold Nanoparticles

The procedures leading to the preservation of catalytic performances of Au/ZrO2 samples have been investigated. The three potential causes of deactivation, namely the particle growth by sintering of gold nanoparticles, the metal leaching and the formation of un-reactive species which inhibit the reaction, have been evaluated. In particular, this paper deals with the stability of gold nanoparticles: (1) under storage conditions; (2) with time on stream for a gas phase reaction (LT-WGSR); (3) with time on stream for a liquid phase reaction (furfural oxidative esterification).