Mechanism of deactivation of Au/Fe2O3 catalysts under water–gas shift conditions

The stability of Au supported catalysts for the water–gas shift reaction was studied. Two types of continuous flow experiments were performed, i.e. temperature-programmed and long-term isothermal stability test. The highest initial rate was obtained for catalysts used without any calcination or other high-temperature treatment. The continuous flow experiments showed that all Au/Fe2O3 catalysts deactivated under water–gas shift conditions. The deactivation trend occurred independently on the Au loading, the method of preparation, calcination or high-temperature treatment.