Gold catalysis in Southern Italy

摘要

The use of gold in catalysis has increased enormously throughout the world in the last 20 years, since the discovery of surprisingly high activity in CO oxidation at low temperature exhibited by gold upon sizing down its dimensions to nanoparticles [1,2]. In Southern Italy, starting in the 1980's there has been an interest in gold and this has attracted rapidly growing attention in recent years due to its potential applicability to various reactions of industrial and environmental interest. Current research in gold catalysis in Southern Italy is being carried out in the Universities of Catania, Messina, Palermo and the ISMN-CNR centre of Palermo.