Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has proven to be a fascinating and powerful technique in the field of surface science. The fact that sets STM apart from most other surface sensitive techniques is its ability to resolve single atoms and molecules on surfaces and furthermore to reveal the dynamics of surface processes by recording many sequential STM images with a fast-scanning, variable-temperature STM.@footnote1@ In this talk I will show how STM can be used in the design of new catalysts. More specifically, I will show how STM studies have lead to the design of new alloy catalysts for the steam reforming reaction,@footnote 2@ to atomic-scale information on the sintering of Pt nanoclusters promoted by hydrogen,@footnote 3@ and to a new insight into the morphology and edge structures of MoS@sub 2@ nanoclusters, which are of interest as model systems for hydrodesulfurization catalysts.@footnote 4@
@FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@ F. Besenbacher, Scanning Tunneling Microscopy studies of metal surfaces, Reports on Progress in Physics 59 (1996)1737 @footnote 2@ F. Besenbacher, I. Chorkendorff, B.S. Clausen, B. Hammer, A. Molenbroek, J.K. Norskov and I. Stensgaard, Design of a surface alloy catalyst for steam reforming, Science 279 (1998) 1913 @footnote 3@ S. Horch, H.T. Lorensen, S. Helveg, E. Lagsgaard, I. Stensgaard, K.W. Jacobsen, J.K. Norskov and F. Besenbacher, Enhancement of surface self-diffusion of platinum atoms by adsorbed hydrogen, Nature (1999) 134 @footnote 4@ S. Helveg J.V. Lauritsen, E. Lagsgaard, I Stensgaard, J.K. Norskov, B.S. Clausen, H. Topsoe and F. Besenbacher, The atomic-scale structure of single-layer MoS@sub 2@ nanoclusters, Phys.Rev. Lett. 84 (2000) 95.