Probing mass change characteristics in nanostructured gold catalysts

Abstract

Gold nanocrystals assembled via alkyl dithiolates ("core-shell" nanoparticles) were explored as nanostructured catalysts. The catalytic activation and methanol oxidation at the nanostructured Au catalysts were investigated using electrochemical quartz-crystal nanobalance (EQCN) technique. The processes were shown to be accompanied by mass fluxes across the nanostructured thin film catalyst. Implications of the EQCN results to the understanding of the interfacial reactivities and processes involving the oxidation-reduction of surface oxygenated species, adsorption and oxidation of methanol, and interfacial structural changes of catalysts are discussed.