Premium
Selective Modification of the Acid–Base Properties of Ceria by Supported Au
Author(s) -
C. I. Bezen Manuela,
Breitkopf Cornelia,
El Kolli Nadia,
Krafft JeanMarc,
Louis Catherine,
Lercher Johannes A.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201002011
Subject(s) - dehydrogenation , chemistry , catalysis , lewis acids and bases , carbanion , inorganic chemistry , hydride , base (topology) , ion , polymer chemistry , photochemistry , medicinal chemistry , organic chemistry , metal , mathematical analysis , mathematics
Au supported on CeO 2 prepared by deposition–precipitation with urea leads to a basic catalyst. Au acts in two ways as surface modifier. First, Au selectively interacts with Ce 4+ cations by either blocking access to or reducing Ce 4+ to Ce 3+ . Second, the resulting Au atoms (presumably as Au + ions) act as soft, weak Lewis acid sites stabilizing carbanion intermediates and enhancing hydride abstraction in the dehydrogenation of alcohols. In consequence, the thus‐synthesized basic catalyst catalyzes the dehydrogenation of propan‐2‐ol to acetone with high efficiency and without notable deactivation. Additionally, the dehydration pathway of propan‐2‐ol is eliminated, as Au also quantitatively blocks access to strongly acidic Ce 4+ ions or reduces them to Ce 3+ .