Palladium-gold bimetallic nanoparticle catalysts prepared by controlled release'' from metal-loaded interfacially cross-linked reverse micelles

Interfacially cross-linked reverse micelles (ICRMs) readily accommodated anionic gold and palladium metal salts in their ammonium-lined hydrophilic cores and allowed facile control of the metallic composition, as well as the metal oxides in the vicinity of the metals. Deposition onto a solid support (P25 TiO2) followed by thermal treatment of Pd-Au-containing ICRMs yielded bimetallic nanoparticle heterogeneous catalysts through the controlled release of metals from the ICRMs. The catalysts allowed efficient oxidation of benzyl alcohol under relatively mild conditions with minimal amounts of oxidant (hydrogen peroxide) in water without any organic solvent.