Fig. 3: Variation of the IR intensity and wavenumber of CO-Au and CO2 against time during CO oxidation at different temperatures.

a Variation of the IR intensity of CO-Au against time; b variation of the IR intensity of CO2 against time; c plots of the position of CO band against time at different temperatures. The signals were corrected by subtracting the broad background signal. Experimental conditions: reaction gas composition is 1% CO and 1% O2 balanced with He; flow rate is 30 mL min−1; modulation period is 100 s; number of spectra in one cycle is 60; during the first half-cycle 1% CO and 1% O2 in He was flowed through the cell, then the feed gas was switched to He for the second half-cycle.