Synthesis and characterization of highly dispersed bimetallic Au-Rh nanoparticles supported on titanate nanotubes for CO oxidation reaction at low temperature.

Low-temperature CO oxidation was carried out by using rhodium incorporated into titanate nanotubes (Rh/NTs) prepared by the sol-gel and hydrothermal methods; otherwise, gold nanoparticles were deposited homogeneously onto the Rh/NT surface through the deposition-precipitation with urea (DPU) method. The Au-Rh/NT sample exhibited high metal dispersion (55%), outstanding CO oxidation at low temperature, and better resistance to deactivation than the monometallic Rh/NT and Au/NT samples. The characterization of bimetallic samples, with particle sizes from 1 to 3 nm, revealed the remarkable presence of interacting Au and Rh species in metallic state.