Surface Gold Atoms Determine Peroxidase Mimic Activity in Gold Alloy Nanoparticles

The development of peroxidase mimic nanocatalysts is relevant for oxidation reactions in biosensing, environmental monitoring and green chemical processes. Several nanomaterials have been proposed as peroxidase mimic, the majority of which consists of noble metals and oxide nanoparticles (NPs). Yet, there is still limited information about how the change in the composition influences their catalytic activity. Here, the peroxidase mimic behaviour of gold NPs is compared to a traditional nanoalloy as Au-Ag and to the Au-Fe and the Au-Co nanoalloys, which were not tested before as oxidation catalysts. Since the alloys of gold with iron and cobalt are thermodynamically unstable, laser ablation in liquid (LAL) is exploited for the synthesis of these NPs. Using LAL, no chemical stabilizers or capping agents are present on the NPs surface, allowing the evaluation of the oxidation behaviour as a function of the alloy composition. The results point to the importance of surface gold atoms in the catalytic process, but also indicate the possibility of obtaining active nanocatalysts with a lower content of Au by alloying it with iron, which is earth-abundant, non-toxic and low cost. Overall, Au nanoalloys are worth consideration as a more sustainable alternative to pure Au nanocatalysts for oxidation reactions.