Nanoporous Gold: From Structure Evolution to Functional Properties in Catalysis and Electrochemistry

Nanoporous gold (NPG) is characterized by a bicontinuous network of nanometer-sized metallic struts and interconnected pores formed spontaneously by oxidative dissolution of the less noble element from gold alloys. The resulting material exhibits decent catalytic activity for low-temperature, aerobic total as well as partial oxidation reactions, the oxidative coupling of methanol to methyl formate being the prototypical example. This review not only provides a critical discussion of ways to tune the morphology and composition of this material and its implication for catalysis and electrocatalysis, but will also exemplarily review the current mechanistic understanding of the partial oxidation of methanol using information from quantum chemical studies, model studies on single-crystal surfaces, gas phase catalysis, aerobic liquid phase oxidation, and electrocatalysis. In this respect, a particular focus will be on mechanistic aspects not well understood, yet. Apart from the mechanistic aspects of catalysis, best practice examples with respect to material preparation and characterization will be discussed. These can improve the reproducibility of the materials property such as the catalytic activity and selectivity as well as the scope of reactions being identified as the main challenges for a broader application of NPG in target-oriented organic synthesis.

Near-Surface Gas-Phase Methoxymethanol Is Generated by Methanol Oxidation over Pd-Based Catalysts

Catalytic conversion of alcohols underlies many commodity and fine chemical syntheses, but a complete mechanistic understanding is lacking. We examined catalytic oxidative conversion of methanol near atmospheric pressure using operando small-aperture molecular beam time-of-flight mass spectrometry, interrogating the gas phase 500 μm above Pd-based catalyst surfaces. In addition to a variety of stable C_1-3 species, we detected methoxymethanol (CH₃OCH₂OH)─a rarely observed and reactive C₂ oxygenate that has been proposed to be a critical intermediate in methyl formate production. Methoxymethanol is observed above Pd, Au_xPd_y alloys, and oxide-supported Pd (common methanol oxidation catalysts). Experiments establish temperature and reactant feed ratio dependences of methoxymethanol generation, and calculations using density functional theory are used to examine the energetics of its likely formation pathway. These results suggest that future development of catalysts and microkinetic models for methanol oxidation should be augmented and constrained to accommodate the formation, desorption, adsorption, and surface reactions involving methoxymethanol.

The role of oxygenated species in the catalytic self-coupling of MeOH on O pre-covered Au(111)

The oxidation of alcohols plays a central role in the valorisation of biomass, in particular when performed with a non-toxic oxidant such as O₂. Aerobic oxidation of methanol on gold has attracted attention lately and the main steps of its mechanism have been described experimentally. However, the exact role of O and OH on each elementary step and the effect of the interactions between adsorbates are still not completely understood. Here we investigate the mechanism of methanol oxidation to HCOOCH₃ and CO₂. We use Density Functional Theory (DFT) to assess the energetics of the underlying pathways, and subsequently build lattice kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) models of increasing complexity, to elucidate the role of different oxygenates. Detailed comparisons of our simulation results with experimental temperature programmed desorption (TPD) spectra enable us to validate the mechanism and identify rate determining steps. Crucially, taking into account dispersion (van der Waals forces) and adsorbate-adsorbate lateral interactions are both important for reproducing the experimental data.

Perspectives on the design of nanoparticle systems for catalysis

An overview of the Faraday Discussion, "Designing Nanoparticle Systems for Catalysis", is presented. Examples are taken from the papers presented at the meeting and from the literature to illustrate the main discussion points.

Bulk gold catalyzes hydride transfer in the Cannizzaro and related reactions

Disproportionation reactions of benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol are catalyzed by bulk gold with hot water as the only other reagent.

CO adsorption and oxygen activation on group 11 nanoparticles – a combined DFT and high level CCSD(T) study about size effects and activation processes

The focus of this study lies in the activation of molecular oxygen and reaction with CO within density functional theory (DFT) and high level CCSD(T) calculations.

Ag containing porous Au structures as highly selective catalysts for glycolate and formate

Selectivity results obtained when glycerol electro-oxidation was carried out over various porous Au catalysts.

Insight on the Interaction of Methanol-Selective Oxidation Intermediates with Au- or/and Pd-Containing Monometallic and Bimetallic Core@Shell Catalysts

Using density functional theory (DFT), the interaction of crucial molecules involved in the selective partial oxidation of methanol to methyl formate (MF) with monometallic Au and Pd and bimetallic Au/Pd and Pd/Au core@shell catalysts is systematically investigated. The core@shell structures modeled in this study consist of Au(111) and Pd(111) cores covered by a monolayer of Pd and Au, respectively. Our results indicate that the adsorption strength of the molecules examined as a function of catalytic surface decreases in the order of Au/Pd(111) > Pd(111) > Au(111) > Pd/Au(111) and correlates well with the d-band center model. The preadsorption of oxygen is found to have a positive impact on the selective partial oxidation reaction because of the stabilization of CH3OH and HCHO on the catalyst surface and the simultaneous intensification of MF desorption. On the basis of a dynamical matrix approach combined with statistical thermodynamics, we propose a simple route for evaluating the Gibbs free energy of adsorption as a function of temperature. This method allows us to anticipate the relative temperature stability of molecules involved in the selective partial oxidation of methanol to MF in terms of catalytic surface.

Catalyst design for enhanced sustainability through fundamental surface chemistry

Decreasing energy consumption in the production of platform chemicals is necessary to improve the sustainability of the chemical industry, which is the largest consumer of delivered energy. The majority of industrial chemical transformations rely on catalysts, and therefore designing new materials that catalyse the production of important chemicals via more selective and energy-efficient processes is a promising pathway to reducing energy use by the chemical industry. Efficiently designing new catalysts benefits from an integrated approach involving fundamental experimental studies and theoretical modelling in addition to evaluation of materials under working catalytic conditions. In this review, we outline this approach in the context of a particular catalyst-nanoporous gold (npAu)-which is an unsupported, dilute AgAu alloy catalyst that is highly active for the selective oxidative transformation of alcohols. Fundamental surface science studies on Au single crystals and AgAu thin-film alloys in combination with theoretical modelling were used to identify the principles which define the reactivity of npAu and subsequently enabled prediction of new reactive pathways on this material. Specifically, weak van der Waals interactions are key to the selectivity of Au materials, including npAu. We also briefly describe other systems in which this integrated approach was applied.

Predicting gold-mediated catalytic oxidative-coupling reactions from single crystal studies

Though metallic gold is chemically inert under ambient conditions, its surface is extremely reactive and selective for many key oxidative chemical transformations when activated by atomic oxygen. A molecular-level understanding of the mechanism of these processes could allow researchers to design "green" catalytic processes mediated by gold-based materials. This Account focuses on the mechanistic framework for oxidative-coupling reactions established by fundamental studies on oxygen-activated Au(111) and the application of these principles to steady-state catalytic conditions. We also discuss the importance of the paradigms discovered both for predicting new oxidative-coupling reactions and for understanding existing literature. The mechanistic framework for the oxidative coupling of alcohols on gold surfaces predicts that new oxidative-coupling reactions should occur between amines and aldehydes and amines and alcohols as well as through alcohol carbonylation. Adsorbed atomic oxygen on the gold surface facilitates the activation of the substrates, and nucleophilic attack and β-H elimination are the two fundamental reactions that propagate the versatile chemistry that ensues. In the self-coupling of primary alcohols, adsorbed atomic oxygen first activates the O-H bond in the hydroxyl group at ∼150 K, which forms the corresponding adsorbed alkoxy groups. The rate-limiting step of the self-coupling reaction is the β-H elimination reaction of alkoxy groups to form the corresponding aldehydes and occurs with an activation barrier of approximately 12 kcal/mol. The remaining alkoxy groups nucleophilically attack the electron-deficient aldehyde carbonyl carbon to yield the adsorbed "hemiacetal". This intermediate undergoes facile β-H elimination to produce the final coupling products, esters with twice the number of carbon atoms as the starting alcohols. This mechanistic insight suggests that cross-coupling occurs between alcohols and aldehydes, based on the logic that the nucleophilic reaction should be independent of the origin of the aldehydes, whether formed in situ or introduced externally. As a further example, adsorbed amides, formed from deprotonation of amines by atomic oxygen, can also attack aldehydes nucleophilically to yield the corresponding amides. Our mechanistic framework can also explain more elaborate gold-mediated chemistry, such as a unique carbonylation reaction via two subsequent nucleophilic attacks. These model studies on well-defined Au(111) at low pressure predict steady-state catalytic behavior on nanoporous gold under practical conditions. The fundamental principles of this research can also explain many other oxygen-assisted gold-mediated reactions observed under ambient conditions.

Ag/Au mixed sites promote oxidative coupling of methanol on the alloy surface

Nanoporous gold, a dilute alloy of Ag in Au, activates molecular oxygen and promotes the oxygen-assisted catalytic coupling of methanol. Because this trace amount of Ag inherent to nanoporous gold has been proposed as the source of oxygen activation, a thin film Ag/Au alloy surface was studied as a model system for probing the origin of this reactivity. Thin alloy layers of Ag(x)Au(1-x), with 0.15≤x≤0.40, were examined for dioxygen activation and methanol self-coupling. These alloy surfaces recombine atomic oxygen at different temperatures depending on the alloy composition. Total conversion of methanol to selective oxidation products, that is, formaldehyde and methyl formate, was achieved at low initial oxygen coverage and at low temperature. Reaction channels for methyl formate formation occurred on both Au and Au/Ag mixed sites with a ratio, as was predicted from the local 2-dimensional composition.

Alkyl groups as synthetic vehicles in gold-mediated oxidative coupling reactions

The use of surface-bound alkyl and phenyl groups as synthetic vehicles in coupling reactions on oxygen-activated Au(111) is demonstrated by the formation of ethers via alkyl and phenyl iodides. Ethers are formed by successive additions of surface-bound alkyl groups to adsorbed atomic oxygen to form first the alkoxy and then the ether. The addition of the ethyl group to adsorbed oxygen on Au(111) is the rate-limiting step leading to diethyl ether formation. Alkyl groups also add to adsorbed alkoxy groups formed from alcohols. An unusual feature of the alkyl iodide reactions on Au is that oxygen is not required for the activation step; hence, opening new potential reactive pathways on metallic Au.

Tunable Ether Production via Coupling of Aldehydes or Aldehyde/Alcohol over Hydrogen-Modified Gold Catalysts at Low Temperatures

Ethers are an important group of organic compounds that are primarily prepared via homogeneous catalysis, which can lead to operational and environmental issues. Here we demonstrate the production of ethers via heterogeneous catalysis over H adatom-covered gold at temperatures lower than 250 K. Symmetrical ethers can be formed via a self-coupling reaction of corresponding aldehydes; for example, homocoupling of acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde yields diethyl ether and di-n-propyl ether, respectively. In addition, coupling reactions between alcohols and aldehydes, with different carbon chain lengths, are observed via the production of the corresponding unsymmetrical ethers. A reaction mechanism is proposed, suggesting that an alcohol-like intermediate via partial hydrogenation of aldehydes on the surface plays a key role in these reactions. These surface chemical reactions suggest possible heterogeneous routes to low-temperature production of ethers.