Gold Catalysis

Laura Prati is an associate professor of inorganic chemistry at Università degli Studi di Milano since 2001. She is a chemistry graduate (1983), received her specialization in "Tecniche Analitiche per la Chimica Organica Fine" from Politecnico of Milan in 1985, and was awarded a PhD in industrial chemistry in 1988. Her principal scientific interests are catalytic hydrogenation and oxidation reactions, and she has been involved in catalytic applications of gold since 1986.Alberto Villa is an assistant professor at the University of Milan. He received his PhD in industrial chemistry in 2007 from the University of Milan, and his thesis focused on the development of gold-based catalysts for liquid-phase reactions. After two years of a postdoc program at the Fritz Haber Institute of Max Planck Gesellschaft, Berlin, with Prof. Robert Schlögl, he joined Laura Prati’s group in 2009. His research focuses on the development of heterogeneous catalysts for biomass transformation. He has (co)authored over 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals.

• Preparation of supported gold catalysts: Deposition-Reduction. Immobilization of preformed gold nanoparticles. Solvated metal atoms in the preparation of supported gold catalysts. Microgels as exotemplates in the preparation of Au nanoclusters. Characterization techniques: Transmission electron microscopy on Au-based catalyst. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization of gold catalysts. FT-IR techniques for the characterization of Au(-ceria)-based catalysts. Determination of dispersion of gold-based catalysts by selective chemisorptions. New findings in CO oxidation. The role of gold catalysts in C–H bond activation for the selective oxidation of saturated hydrocarbons. Liquid phase oxidation using Au-based catalysts. Supported gold nanoparticles As heterogeneous catalyst for C–C coupling reactions. Towards chemoselectivity: The case of supported Au for hydrogen-mediated reactions. Homogenous gold catalysis.