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).