AVS 58th Annual International Symposium and Exhibition
    Surface Science Division Wednesday Sessions
       Session SS2-WeM

Invited Paper SS2-WeM3
Charge-Mediated Chemisorption on Supported Clusters

Wednesday, November 2, 2011, 8:40 am, Room 109

Session: Chemisorption on Metal & Oxide Nanoparticles
Presenter: Martin Sterrer, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-Society, Germany
Correspondent: Click to Email
Among the many factors that influence catalytic activity of supported metal clusters, the effects of size and charge state of the clusters are most frequently discussed, e.g., in CO oxidation over supported gold. In this contribution, I will present results of our recent experimental efforts to characterize metal clusters supported on single-crystalline model oxide surfaces, using Au on MgO thin films as example. Using a combination of various surface science techniques including low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance, the properties of supported Au atoms and clusters were addressed in detail. Starting with the unusual CO chemisorption behavior of single Au atoms on the perfect MgO(001) surface, I will move on and show how the charge state of Au particles on the MgO surface, which in most cases is inferred from distinct CO chemisorption features, may be influenced by modification of the oxide surface, e.g. by their interaction with defects or hydroxyl groups, or by the MgO film thickness.