The Interplay between Structure and CO Oxidation Catalysis on Metal‐Supported Ultrathin Oxide Films

Abstract

Thickness matters: Ultrathin oxide films on metals can greatly enhance catalytic activity, for example, in CO oxidation on an FeO(111) film grown on a Pt(111) substrate. Under the reaction conditions, the bilayer FeO film restructures to form a trilayer OFeO film (see picture). Experimental evidence for the structure/morphology of the film and theoretical modeling of the mechanism of its formation and CO oxidation on its surface are presented.

Reversible structural transformation of FeOx nanostructures on Pt under cycling redox conditions and its effect on oxidation catalysis

“…470 K, when oxidizing a full monolayer FeO film on Pt(111). 34,37 In the present work, the high dispersion and small size of FeO nanoislands at the submonolayer FeO 1Àx /Pt(111) surfaces may be attributed to the easy occurrence of the oxidation-induced structural transformation. It is interesting to point out that the FeO 2Àx surface can be reduced back to the FeO 1Àx surface through UHV annealing.…”

Strong metal–support interactions between palladium and iron oxide and their effect on CO oxidation

“…In contrast, structure-insensitive reactions, e. Freund and coworkers investigated the Pt/Fe 3 O 4 (111)/Pt(111) model system in UHV studies [10][11][12][13]. They reported the existence of SMSI between Pt and Fe 3 O 4 .…”

Remarkably Strong Chemisorption of Nitric Oxide on Insulating Oxide Films Promoted by Hybrid Structure

“…20 Due to the spontaneous formation of superoxide dioxygen anions, greatly enhanced catalytic activity toward oxidation of carbon monoxide was experimentally observed on thin oxide films deposited on metals. 32,33 Landman et al reported the controlled ethylene hydrogenation on Pt clusters soft-landed on magnesia supported by molybdenum. 34 The dihydrogen adsorption and dissociation on magnesia (001) thin films were researched by Chen et al, and the heterolytic and homolytic splitting of dihydrogen are highly dependent on the choice of the support and the surface morphology (defects and under-coordinated sites).…”