Facile synthesis of core–shell Au@CeO2 nanocomposites with remarkably enhanced catalytic activity for CO oxidation

Uniform Au@CeO2 core–shell submicrospheres, in which a Au nanoparticle core is coated with a shell composed of CeO2 nanoparticles, are easily synthesized by using hydrothermal and calcinating processes. When the Au@CeO2 core–shell submicrospheres are used for catalytic oxidation of CO to CO2, the full conversion temperature is decreased from over 300 °C to 155 °C with respect to the conventional supported Au–CeO2 catalysts. Furthermore, the Au@CeO2 core–shell submicrospheres show superior catalytic stability, and no deactivation occurs after 72 h reaction. The mechanisms of the growth and the high catalytic performance of Au@CeO2 core–shell submicrospheres are discussed in detail.