ABSTRACT Supported gold nanoparticles have excited much interest owing to their unusual and somewhat unexpected catalytic properties1,2,3,4,5,6,7, but the origin of the catalytic activity is

still not fully understood. Experimental work4 on gold particles supported on a titanium dioxide (110) single-crystal surface has established a striking size threshold effect associated

with a metal-to-insulator transition, with gold particles catalytically active only if their diameters fall below ∼3.5 nm. However, the remarkable catalytic behaviour might also in part

arise from strong electronic interaction between the gold and the titanium dioxide support2,3,5. In the case of industrially important selective oxidation reactions, explanation of the

and robust catalysts for the selective oxidation of styrene by dioxygen. We find a sharp size threshold in catalytic activity, in that particles with diameters of ∼2 nm and above are

completely inactive. Our observations suggest that catalytic activity arises from the altered electronic structure intrinsic to small gold nanoparticles, and that the use of 55-atom gold

clusters may prove a viable route to the synthesis of robust gold catalysts suited to practical application. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of

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INTERSTITIAL CARBON ATOMS BOOST HYDROGENATION ACTIVITY Article Open access 14 September 2020 ULTRA-STABLE AND HIGHLY REACTIVE COLLOIDAL GOLD NANOPARTICLE CATALYSTS PROTECTED USING

MULTI-DENTATE METAL OXIDE NANOCLUSTERS Article Open access 06 February 2024 BIMETALLIC MONOLAYER CATALYST BREAKS THE ACTIVITY–SELECTIVITY TRADE-OFF ON METAL PARTICLE SIZE FOR EFFICIENT

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references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS M.T. and O.P.H.V. acknowledge financial support from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and King’s College, Cambridge, respectively. AUTHOR

INFORMATION Author notes * Vladimir B. Golovko Present address: Present address: Department of Chemistry, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand., AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS

* Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK Mark Turner, Vladimir B. Golovko, Owain P. H. Vaughan, Pavel Abdulkin, Angel Berenguer-Murcia, Mintcho S. Tikhov, 

Brian F. G. Johnson & Richard M. Lambert Authors * Mark Turner View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Vladimir B. Golovko View author

publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Owain P. H. Vaughan View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Pavel

Abdulkin View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Angel Berenguer-Murcia View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed 

Google Scholar * Mintcho S. Tikhov View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Brian F. G. Johnson View author publications You can also search for

this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Richard M. Lambert View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Richard

M. Lambert. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTARY FIGURES This file contains Supplementary Figures 1 and 2 with Legends that describe the characterization of the 0.6 wt% Au/SiO2 catalyst

prepared using PVP method and the characterization of the 1 wt% Au/C catalyst prepared using the microemulsion method, respectively; Supplementary Table 1 giving a full statistical breakdown

of the particle size distributions of all catalysts; Supplementary Figures 3 and 4 with Legends and Supplementary Discussion describing the effect of catalyst thermal treatment; and

additional references. (PDF 1878 kb) RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Turner, M., Golovko, V., Vaughan, O. _et al._ Selective oxidation

with dioxygen by gold nanoparticle catalysts derived from 55-atom clusters. _Nature_ 454, 981–983 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07194 Download citation * Received: 31 October 2007 *

Accepted: 20 June 2008 * Issue Date: 21 August 2008 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07194 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

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