Au-Cu Alloy Formation On Cubic Cu2o Nanocrystals At Ambient Temperature And Their Catalytic Performance

The synthesis of metal alloys usually requires harsh reaction conditions. We report herein that the chemical reactions of HAuCl4 and cubic Cu2O nanocrystal in an ethanol-water mixture solution at ambient temperature can form supported Au-Cu alloys. The parallel galvanic replacement reaction between HAuCl4 and Cu2O and disproportionation reaction of Cu2O simultaneously form Au and Cu atoms, respectively, on the Cu2O surface that cluster and grow into Au-Cu alloys. The supported AuCu alloy particles exhibit excellent activity in catalyzing the liquid phase aerobic oxidation reaction of benzyl alcohol. These results demonstrate a novel approach to fabricate metal alloys with very mild conditions via oxide-surface-directed chemical synthesis.