Total oxidation of volatile organic compounds on Au/FeOx catalysts supported on mesoporous SBA-15 silica

A series of Au/FeOx/SBA-15 type materials were prepared by two methods: one conventional and one non-conventional: gold deposition-precipitation on FeOx/SBA-15 and bimetallic carbonyl cluster deposition on SBA-15, respectively. Both chemical physical characterization and catalytic activity tests in the complete combustion of methanol show that the new preparation method of Au/FeOx-supported catalysts leads to the anchoring of the Au by modifying the surface of SBA-15 with FeOx species. This effect results in a considerable improvement in catalyst performance as compared to the classic preparation by deposition-precipitation of Au on SBA-15 and FeOx/SBA-15.