Catalytic combustion of volatile organic compounds on gold/iron oxide catalysts

Catalytic oxidation of 2-propanol, methanol, ethanol, acetone and toluene was investigated on coprecipitated Au/Fe2O3 catalysts in the presence of excess of oxygen. Gold catalysts have been found to be very active in the oxidation of tested volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The high activity of these systems has been related to the capacity of highly dispersed gold to weaken the Fe–O bond thus increasing the mobility of the lattice oxygen which is involved in the VOCs oxidation probably through a Mars–van Krevelen reaction mechanism.