Comparison of thermal stability of gold nanoparticles deposited on Al2O3 and Fe2O3 in the CO + O2 reaction medium

A method for the synthesis of catalytic systems consisting of gold particles deposited on thin Al2O3 and Fe2O3 films supported by perforated carbon films was developed. The prepared samples were treated in a chamber of the photoelectron spectrometer under conditions of CO oxidation (5 mbar of CO + 5 mbar of O2, 200 ℃) and then examined under a microscope. A comparative study using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy showed that the size of gold nanoparticles deposited on the Fe2O3 surface increased upon heating of the reaction medium, whereas the size of those deposited on the Al2O3 surface remained unchanged.