High Catalytic Activity of Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia-Supported Gold Nanoparticles for Hydrogen Peroxide Production from Oxygen and Formic Acid Under Ambient Conditions

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an important chemical widely used in the industry. Recently, insulating zirconia-supported Au nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by a modified deposition precipitation method (Au/ZrO2-MDP) have been reported to show catalytic activity for H2O2 production from aerated HCOOH aqueous solution much higher than Au/n-type semiconducting metal oxides (Au/n-MOs) prepared by the normal deposition precipitation method. In this study, we report that Au/yttria-stabilized zirconia (Au/YSZ-MDP) exhibits catalytic activity for the reaction far exceeding those of Au/n-MOs and even Au/ZrO2-MDP. Au/YSZ-MDP yields H2O2 from the aerated 1.06 M HCOOH aqueous solution with an initial rate of 2.2 mmol h-1 gcat-1, and a turnover frequency (TOF) of 4.3 x 102 h-1 at 25 degrees C. X-ray photoelectron and photoluminescence spectral data, in addition to the effect of YSZ surface modification with an aluminum oxide, indicate that the remarkable catalytic activity of Au/YSZ-MDP is induced by the oxygen vacancies (Ov) and Ov-derived Zr & horbar;OH groups on the YSZ surface in the vicinity of Au NPs.