The confinement effect on the activity of Au NPs in polyol oxidation

Abstract

We demonstrate a confinement effect where gold nanoparticles trapped within N-functionalized carbon nanofibers (N-CNFs) are more active for polyol oxidation and promote selectivity towards di-acid products, whereas AuNPs trapped on the surface produce as a major by-product the one derived from C–C cleavage. The behaviour of NPs confined inside the N-CNF channels can be attributed to a different, possibly multiple, coordination of glycerol on the active site.