Electrochemical Stability and Degradation Mechanisms of Commercial Carbon-Supported Gold Nanoparticles in Acidic Media
A 10,000-cycle accelerated stress test on commercial Au/C in acid reveals that small nanoparticles (<5 nm) are the primary degradation mechanism — dissolving preferentially and driving a ~65% loss in electrochemical surface area despite minimal overall gold mass loss. Chloride accelerates degradation markedly, with potential utility for gold recycling.