AVS 53rd International Symposium
    Surface Science Thursday Sessions
       Session SS-ThP

Paper SS-ThP10
Surface Studies of Size-Selected Molybdenum Oxide Clusters

Thursday, November 16, 2006, 5:30 pm, Room 3rd Floor Lobby

Session: Surface Science Poster Session
Presenter: M.J. Patterson, StonyBrook University/Brookhaven National Laboratory
Authors: M.J. Patterson, StonyBrook University/Brookhaven National Laboratory
J.M. Lightstone, StonyBrook University/Brookhaven National Laboratory
M.G. White, StonyBrook University/Brookhaven National Laboratory
Correspondent: Click to Email
A cluster deposition apparatus has recently been constructed and employs a magnetron sputtering source for generating gas-phase cation clusters of pure metals and metallic compounds. Of particular interest are clusters of the transition metal oxides such as Mo@sub x@O@sub y@@super +@. Bulk molybdates are one of the most widely used selective oxidation catalysts for processes such as the conversion of methanol to formaldehyde,@super 1@ and smaller molybdenum oxide clusters, x=1-3;y=1-9, have shown activity towards CO oxidation and dehydrogenation of cyclopropane@super2@. The work reported here examines the gas-phase production of an array of molybdenum oxides clusters as a first step towards investigations of model catalysts prepared by size-selected deposition. Preliminary Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) imaging of the Mo@sub 46@O@sub 132@@super +@ cluster deposited on amorphous carbon, shows the propensity for aggregation of these clusters as the coverage increases. Current efforts involve the use of size-selected deposition to study the size-dependent structure and reactivity of supported Mo oxide nanoclusters using thermal desorption, x-ray photoemission and STEM particle imaging. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@ Gai-Boyes, P.L.; Catal. Rev. Sci. Eng, 1992, 34, 1-54.@footnote 2@ Fialko,E.F.; Kikhtenko, A.V.; Goncharov, V.B., et.al.; J. Phys. Chem, 1997, 101, 8607.