Ceria-Supported Gold Nanoparticles as a Superior Catalyst for Nitrous Oxide Production via Ammonia Oxidation

The production of nitrous oxide, N₂ O, via NH₃ oxidation is not on a practical scale due to the lack of a suitable catalyst. Instead, it is produced via thermal decomposition of NH₄ NO₃ , rendering N₂ O too costly and limiting its prospective uses. Herein, we report CeO₂ -supported Au nanoparticles (2-3 nm) as a highly selective catalyst for low-temperature NH₃ oxidation to N₂ O, exhibiting two orders of magnitude higher space-time yield than the state-of-the-art Mn-Bi/α-Al₂ O₃ and remarkable stability over 70 h on stream. The reaction proceeds via a Mars-van Krevelen mechanism, with the density of interfacial Au^δ+ species and the oxygen storage capacity of CeO₂ identified as the key performance descriptors. The latter could be enhanced by cobalt doping, improving the catalytic activity and setting a new benchmark for N₂ O productivity. These findings establish NH₃ oxidation as an efficient process for N₂ O manufacture and facilitate its broader utilization in selective oxidations.