Application of copper–gold alloys in catalysis: current status and future perspectives

The use of nanoalloys in catalysis is a rapidly expanding field. There has been immense interest in the use of supported gold nanoparticles as catalysts, and bimetallic catalysts containing gold in combination with other metals represents an emerging field of research. While bulk copper–gold alloys are well-known and, indeed, are much studied systems, bimetallic copper–gold nanoalloys have received relatively little attention. In this tutorial review we review the literature on bimetallic CuAu catalysts and present some options for their future development.