New challenges in gold catalysis: bimetallic systems

Since the discovery of the peculiar catalytic activity of gold catalysts, it became clear that gold could play a fundamental role also as a modifier. Indeed, more active catalysts such as those based on Pd or Pt showed specific and sometimes unexpected properties when modified with gold. This paper reviews advances in the field of Au-based bimetallic catalysts with particular attention to their preparation, characterization and catalytic activity. AuPd catalysts, the most widely studied, have been chosen as an example to show how the different obtained morphologies (alloy, core-shell, decorated particles) can contribute to the catalytic activity.