Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU), together with their foreign colleagues, have figured out how to increase the efficiency of using nanoscale gold catalysts at the production of valuable products for the pharmaceutical, chemical and agrochemical industries.

The uniqueness of nanoscale gold-containing catalysts is that they are superactive. And they are able to accelerate chemical processes at low temperatures, for example, less than 150 degrees by Celsius. However, for the most efficient use of catalysts, the scientists needed to identify the nature of the active data center of the systems - one of the key aspects of heterogeneous catalysis. The Accurate knowledge of the nature of active centers, according to scientists, allows for the directed synthesis of highly efficient catalysts with desired properties.

The research results are published in the journal ChemCatChem.