Low-temperature catalytic oxidation of CO is one of the most important problems in catalysis since even small exposures to CO (ppm) can be lethal. Nanoparticle catalysts are characterized by large surface area, high dispersion and strong metal-support interaction. It is therefore, expected that nanoparticle catalysts would show high catalytic activity for the low temperature oxidation of CO.

            Using our Laser Vaporization Controlled Condensation (LVCC) method, we have prepared a variety of nanoparticle catalysts for the CO oxidation. Nanoparticle catalyst supports have been investigated to explore the advantage of strong metal-support interaction in developing new efficient catalysts. We have studied the effects of the nanoparticle supports of silica (SiO₂), alumina (Al₂O₃), titinia (TiO₂), zirconia (ZrO₂) and ceria (CeO₂) on the activity of the Au nanoparticle catalysts. The effects of metal loading and heating treatments have been investigated. The reactivity of the Au nanoparticle catalysts has been studied at different temperatures. The results indicate that the Au/ CeO₂ system shows a great promise for the efficient low temperature oxidation of CO. This appears to be directly related to the unique redox properties and high oxygen storage capacity of CeO₂. Comparison between the nanoparticle catalysts prepared with chemical methods will be presented.