Steps and catalytic reactions: CO oxidation with preadsorbed O on Rh(553)
Journal article, 2022

Industrial catalysts are often comprised of nanoparticles supported on high-surface-area oxides, in order to maximise the catalytically active surface area and thereby utilise the active material better. These nanoparticles expose steps and corners that, due to low coordination to neighboring atoms, are more reactive and, as a consequence, are often assumed to have higher catalytic activity. We have investigated the reaction between CO and preadsorbed O on a stepped Rh(553) surface, and show that CO oxidation indeed occurs faster than on the flat Rh(111) surface at the same temperature. However, we do find that this is not a result of reactions at the step sites but rather at the terrace sites close to the steps, due to in-plane relaxation enabled by the step. This insight can provide ways to optimize the shape of the nanoparticles to further improve the activity of certain reactions.

Steps

X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Rhodium

Catalysis

Density functional theory

CO Oxidation

Author

Chu Zhang

Lund University

Baochang Wang

Competence Centre for Catalysis (KCK)

Chalmers, Physics, Chemical Physics

Anders Hellman

Competence Centre for Catalysis (KCK)

Chalmers, Physics, Chemical Physics

M. Shipilin

AlbaNova University Center

Andreas Schaefer

Competence Centre for Catalysis (KCK)

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

L. R. Merte

Malmö university

Sara Blomberg

Lund University

Xueting Wang

Competence Centre for Catalysis (KCK)

Polymer Technology

Per-Anders Carlsson

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Competence Centre for Catalysis (KCK)

Edvin Lundgren

Lund University

Jonas Weissenrieder

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

Andrea Resta

SOLEIL Synchrotron

Anders Mikkelsen

Lund University

Jesper N. Andersen

Lund University

Johan Gustafsson

Lund University

Surface Science

0039-6028 (ISSN)

Vol. 715 121928

Subject Categories

Inorganic Chemistry

Materials Chemistry

Biocatalysis and Enzyme Technology

DOI

10.1016/j.susc.2021.121928

More information

Latest update

1/12/2022