The Electronic Structure of Platinum-Gold Alloy Particles BETTER CATALYSTS FOR SELECTIVE OXIDATIONS

Although the platinum-gold (Pt-Au) phase diagram shows a wide miscibility gap due to limited mutual solubility of the components, small particles (<3 nm) form homogeneous alloys because all atoms retain their atomic electronic structure, and rehybridisation due to band formation does not take place. Supported Pt-Au catalysts are often superior to those containing Pt alone for low-temperature selective oxidations.