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Nature 437, 1098-1099 (20 October 2005) | doi:10.1038/4371098a; Published online 19 October 2005

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Catalysis: Gold rush

Masatake Haruta1

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The chemical industry would be transformed if selective oxidation of hydrocarbons could be achieved efficiently using cheap and clean oxygen from the air. Doing that with gold as a catalyst is a method gaining in allure.

The selective oxidation of hydrocarbons — the targeted addition of oxygen atoms to produce specific desired reaction products — is crucial in industrial petroleum-based chemical processes. Oxygen-containing organic compounds, such as epoxides, ketones, aldehydes, alcohols and acids, are used to produce plastics, detergents, paints, cosmetics and food additives.

  1. Masatake Haruta is in the Materials Chemistry Course, Faculty of Urban Environmental Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji 192-0397, Tokyo, Japan.
    Email: haruta-masatake@center.tmu.ac.jp

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