How tiny gold particles aid the production of plastic
components
RUB researchers report in “Angewandte Chemie”
From methanol to formaldehyde - this reaction is the
starting point for the synthesis of many everyday plastics. Using catalysts
made of gold particles, formaldehyde could be produced without the
environmentally hazardous waste generated in conventional methods. Just how the
mysterious gold catalyst works has been found out by theoretical and
experimental researchers at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum in a cooperation
project. In the international edition of the journal “Angewandte Chemie” they
report in detail on what happens on the gold surface during the chemical
reaction.