Active nonmetallic Au and Pt species on ceria-based water-gas shift catalysts

Traditional analysis of reactions catalyzed by supported metals involves the structure of the metallic particles. However, we report here that for the class of nanostructured gold - or platinum-cerium oxide catalysts, which are active for the water-gas shift reaction, metal nanoparticles do not participate in the reaction. Nonmetallic gold or platinum species strongly associated with surface cerium-oxygen groups are responsible for the activity.