Invited Paper SS+AS+EN-TuA7
Metal Nanoparticles on Thin Film Oxide Supports: Interaction and Reaction of Metals with Hydroxyls

Tuesday, October 20, 2015, 4:20 pm, Room 113

Water-oxide interaction is of great importance in a number of technologically relevant fields, among them heterogeneous catalysis. Several studies report on the promoting effect of water in catalytic reactions, the participation of surface hydroxyls in catalytic reactions, and the influence of hydroxylation on the binding of metals to oxide surfaces. Achieving a fundamental atomic scale understanding of water-oxide interaction at environmentally and catalytically relevant conditions (e.g. ambient pressure) represents, therefore, a challenge for surface science studies related to heterogeneous catalysis. In this contribution, I will present results of our recent studies related to the interaction of water with thin, single crystalline oxide films (Fe-oxides, alkaline earth oxides) carried out in a wide range of water chemical potential (from UHV to mbar water pressures). Topics that will be discussed are the characterization of ordered water monolayers, the dewetting of ice on oxide surfaces, hydroxylation of oxide surfaces at elevated pressure, the influence of hydroxyls on metal nucleation and sintering, and metal deposition onto oxide surfaces from aqueous solutions.