Growth and sintering of Pd clusters on alpha-Al2O3(0001)

The growth and sintering of Pd nanoparticles on alpha-Al(2)O(3)(0001) have been studied by noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM), low-energy ion scattering spectroscopy (LEIS), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). This is the first study of metal nanoparticles on a well-defined oxide surface where both NC-AFM and LEIS are used for characterization. These prove to be a powerful combination in assessing particle dimensions. The clean alumina surface showed atomically flat, 200-700 nm wide terraces. The sharp step edges are straight (within our resolution) for lengths of >300 nm and have heights in multiples of 0.2 nm. The Pd grows initially as two-dimensional (2D) islands at 300 K, with the transition to 3D particle growth at 0.25 ML (ML=monolayers). Upon heating at 1 K/s, the Pd starts to sinter below 400 K, and sinters at a nearly constant rate with increasing temperature, covering approximately 50% less of the alumina surface by approximately 1000 K, with a doubling in particle diameter and an eightfold decrease in particle number density. By approximately 1000 K, the number density was approximately 9 x 10(11)cm(2) for 0.8 ML of Pd, with an average diameter of 5 nm and an average thickness of 1 nm.     

Comparison of the reactivity of different Pd-O species in CO oxidation

The reactivity of several Pd-O species toward CO oxidation was compared experimentally, making use of chemically, structurally and morphologically different model systems such as single-crystalline Pd(111) covered by adsorbed oxygen or a Pd(5)O(4) surface oxide layer, an oriented Pd(111) thin film on NiAl oxidized toward PdO(x) suboxide and silica-supported uniform Pd nanoparticles oxidized to PdO. The oxygen reactivity decreased with increasing oxidation state: O(ad) on metallic Pd(111) exhibited the highest reactivity and could be reduced within a few minutes already at 223 K, using low CO beam fluxes around 0.02 ML s(-1). The Pd(5)O(4) surface oxide on Pd(111) could be reacted by CO at a comparable rate above 330 K using the same low CO beam flux. The more deeply oxidized Pd(111) thin film supported on NiAl was already much less reactive, and reduction in 10(-6) mbar CO at T > 500 K led only to partial reduction toward PdO(x) suboxide, and the metallic state of Pd could not be re-established under these conditions. The fully oxidized PdO nanoparticles required even rougher reaction conditions such as 10 mbar CO for 15 min at 523 K in order to re-establish the metallic state. As a general explanation for the observed activity trends we propose kinetic long-range transport limitations for the formation of an extended, crystalline metal phase. These mass-transport limitations are not involved in the reduction of O(ad), and less demanding in case of the 2-D Pd(5)O(4) surface oxide conversion back to metallic Pd(111). They presumably become rate-limiting in the complex separation process from an extended 3-D bulk oxide state toward a well ordered 3-D metallic phase.     

A surface x-ray study of the structure and morphology of the oxidized Pd001 surface

The oxidation of Pd(100) and the formation of PdO was studied in situ using surface x-ray diffraction. A bulklike, epitaxial PdO film is formed at oxygen partial pressures beyond 1 mbar and sample temperatures exceeding 650 K. The main orientation is PdO(001)/Pd(001), based upon bulk reflections from the PdO film. By comparing with measurements from the Pd crystal truncation rods, we estimate an rms surface roughness of 6 A, in good agreement with previous high pressure scanning tunneling microscopy measurements. Finally, we observed the transformation from the (radical5 x radical5) surface oxide to PdO bulk oxide at 675 K and 50 mbar O(2) pressure.     

Hydrogen adsorption kinetics on Pd/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2

Hydrogen adsorption on Pd/Ce(0.8)Zr(0.2)O(2) was studied by temperature-programmed reduction, volumetric measurements and IR spectroscopy. Hydrogen uptake and reduction rate at 353 K are strongly dependent on the hydrogen pressure. At relatively high hydrogen partial pressure, reduction involves PdO, the surface and a significant fraction of the bulk of the ceria based oxide. Formation of oxygen vacancies even at low temperature (<373 K) is observed. The hydrogen adsorption process is mainly irreversible, as is shown by an increase in the (2)F(5/2)-->(2)F(7/2) electronic transition of Ce(3+) with hydrogen pressure and surface dehydroxylation. This "severe" reduction has a negative effect on the subsequent hydrogen adsorption capability. The decrease of hydrogen uptake capacity and rate during adsorption can be associated with the partial loss of superficial OH and the presence of Ce(3+), which deactivates Pd electronically.     

Vanadium oxides on aluminum oxide supports. 1. Surface termination and reducibility of vanadia films on alpha-Al2O3(0001)

Using density functional theory and statistical thermodynamics, we obtained the phase diagram of thin VnOm films of varying thickness (approximately 2-6 A, 1-6 vanadium layers) supported on alpha-Al2O3(0001). Depending on the temperature, oxygen pressure, and vanadium concentration, films with different thickness and termination may form. In ultrahigh vacuum (UHV), at room temperature and for low vanadium concentrations, an ultrathin (1 x 1) O=V-terminated film is most stable. As more vanadium is supplied, the thickest possible films form. Their structures and terminations correspond to previous findings for the (0001) surface of bulk V2O3 [Kresse et al., Surf. Sci. 2004, 555, 118]. The presence of surface vanadyl (O=V) groups is a prevalent feature. They are stable up to at least 800 K in UHV. Vanadyl oxygen atoms induce a V(2p) core-level shift of about 2 eV on the surface V atoms. The reducibility of the supported films is characterized by the energy of oxygen defect formation. For the stable structures, the results vary between 4.11 and 3.59 eV per 1/2O2. In contrast, oxygen removal from the V2O5(001) surface is much easier (1.93 eV). This provides a possible explanation for the lower catalytic activity of vanadium oxides supported on alumina compared to that of crystalline vanadia particles.     

Physisorption of N2, O2, and CO on fully oxidized TiO2(110)

Physisorption of N(2), O(2), and CO was studied on fully oxidized TiO(2)(110) using beam reflection and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) techniques. Sticking coefficients for all three molecules are nearly equal (0.75 +/- 0.05) and approximately independent of coverage suggesting that adsorption occurs via a precursor-mediated mechanism. Excluding multilayer coverages, the TPD spectra for all three adsorbates exhibit three distinct coverage regimes that can be interpreted in accord with previous theoretical studies of N(2) adsorption. At low coverages (0-0.5 N(2)/Ti(4+)), N(2) molecules bind head-on to five-coordinated Ti(4+) ions. The adsorption occurs preferentially on the Ti(4+) sites that do not have neighboring adsorbates. This arrangement minimizes the repulsive interactions between the adsorbed molecules along the Ti(4+) rows resulting in a relatively small shift of the TPD peak (105 --> 90 K) with increasing coverage. At higher N(2) coverages (0.5-1.0 N(2)/Ti(4+)) the nearest-neighbor Ti(4+) sites become occupied. The close proximity of the adsorbates results in strong repulsion thus giving rise to a significant shift of the TPD leading edges (90 --> 45 K) with increasing coverage. For N(2)/Ti(4+) > 1, an additional low-temperature peak (approximately 43 K) is present and is ascribed to N(2) adsorption on bridge-bonded oxygen rows. The results for O(2) and CO are qualitatively similar. The repulsive adsorbate-adsorbate interactions are largest for CO, most likely due to alignment of CO dipole moments. The coverage-dependent binding energies of O(2), N(2), and CO are determined by inverting TPD profiles.     

Temperature dependence of the kinetics for the complete oxidation of methane on palladium and palladium oxide

The kinetics for the complete combustion of methane was studied on a Pd foil in the regions where the oxide and then the metal were the bulk stable phases. The use of a model catalyst allowed the kinetics to be studied at higher temperatures than are possible on supported catalysts since heat and mass transport limitations could be avoided for this nonporous model catalyst. For all reaction conditions, CH4 and O2 reaction orders remained the same at about 0.7 and 0, respectively. With PdO as the stable phase, the water reaction order increased from -1 to 0 and the apparent activation energy (Ea) decreased from 125 to 30 kJ mol(-1) as the reaction temperature increased from 600 to 880 K. We propose that as the temperature is increased water desorbs from the sites responsible for combustion and as a result water inhibition and Ea decrease. To investigate the rate of reaction on Pd versus PdO, the rates were measured around the Pd-PdO transition temperature. The turnover rate decreased from 3.0 s(-1) to 0.3 s(-1) at the transition temperature (907 K with 1.5 Torr O2 and 0.30 Torr CH4) when PdO decomposed to Pd metal, showing that PdO was more active than Pd metal for methane oxidation at this temperature. The reaction orders for Pd metal in the range of 933-1003 K were 0.7, 0, and 0 for methane, water, and O2, respectively, with an apparent activation energy of 125 kJ mol(-1). Thus, the turnover rate and Ea changes suggest that the reaction mechanism for methane oxidation on Pd is different from the one on PdO.     

Formation of the surface NO during N2O interaction at low temperature with iron-containing ZSM-5

Interaction of N2O at low temperatures (473-603 K) with Fe-ZSM-5 zeolites (Fe, 0.01-2.1 wt %) activated by steaming and/or thermal treatment in He at 1323 K was studied by the transient response method and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). Diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) of NO adsorbed at room temperature as a probe molecule indicated heterogeneity of surface Fe(II) sites. The most intensive bands were found at 1878 and 1891 cm(-1), characteristic of two types mononitrosyl species assigned to Fe2+(NO) involved in bi- and oligonuclear species. Fast loading of atomic oxygen from N2O on the surface and slower formation of adsorbed NO species were observed. The initial rate of adsorbed NO formation was linearly dependent on the concentration of active Fe sites assigned to bi- and oligonuclear species, evolving oxygen in the TPD at around 630-670 K. The maximal coverage of a zeolite surface by NO was estimated from the TPD of NO at approximately 700 K. This allowed the simulation of the dynamics of the adsorbed NO formation at 523 K, which was consistent with the experiments. The adsorbed NO facilitated the atomic oxygen recombination/desorption, the rate determining step during N2O decomposition to O2 and N2, taking place at temperatures > or =563 K.     

Water-enhanced low-temperature CO oxidation and isotope effects on atomic oxygen-covered Au(111)

Water-oxygen interactions and CO oxidation by water on the oxygen-precovered Au(111) surface were studied by using molecular beam scattering techniques, temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Water thermally desorbs from the clean Au(111) surface with a peak temperature of approximately 155 K; however, on a surface with preadsorbed atomic oxygen, a second water desorption peak appears at approximately 175 K. DFT calculations suggest that hydroxyl formation and recombination are responsible for this higher temperature desorption feature. TPD spectra support this interpretation by showing oxygen scrambling between water and adsorbed oxygen adatoms upon heating the surface. In further support of these experimental findings, DFT calculations indicate rapid diffusion of surface hydroxyl groups at temperatures as low as 75 K. Regarding the oxidation of carbon monoxide, if a C (16)O beam impinges on a Au(111) surface covered with both atomic oxygen ( (16)O) and isotopically labeled water (H 2 (18)O), both C (16)O (16)O and C (16)O (18)O are produced, even at surface temperatures as low as 77 K. Similar experiments performed by impinging a C (16)O beam on a Au(111) surface covered with isotopic oxygen ( (18)O) and deuterated water (D 2 (16)O) also produce both C (16)O (16)O and C (16)O (18)O but less than that produced by using (16)O and H 2 (18)O. These results unambiguously show the direct involvement and promoting role of water in CO oxidation on oxygen-covered Au(111) at low temperatures. On the basis of our experimental results and DFT calculations, we propose that water dissociates to form hydroxyls (OH and OD), and these hydroxyls react with CO to produce CO 2. Differences in water-oxygen interactions and oxygen scrambling were observed between (18)O/H 2 (16)O and (18)O/D 2 (16)O, the latter producing less scrambling. Similar differences were also observed in water reactivity toward CO oxidation, in which less CO 2 was produced with (16)O/D 2 (16)O than with (16)O/H 2 (16)O. These differences are likely due to primary kinetic isotope effects due to the differences in O-H and O-D bond energies.     

Epitaxial film growth and superconducting behavior of sodium-cobalt oxyhydrate, NaxCoO2.yH2O (x approximately 0.3, y approximately 1.3)

We have developed a unique multistep film growth technique, combining reactive solid-phase epitaxy (R-SPE) with an intercalation process, to fabricate epitaxial films of superconducting sodium-cobalt oxyhydrate, Na(0.3)CoO2.1.3H2O. An epitaxial film of Na(0.8)CoO2 grown on an alpha-Al2O3(0001) substrate by R-SPE was subjected to oxidation and hydration treatment, leading to the formation of a Na(0.3)CoO2.1.3H2O epitaxial film. The film exhibited metallic electrical resistivity with a superconducting transition at 4 K, similar to that of bulk single crystals. The present technique is suitable and probably the only method for the epitaxial growth of superconducting Na(0.3)CoO2.1.3H2O.     

Effects of the addition of titania on the thermal characterization of alumina-supported palladium

The detailed thermal characterization of Pd/TiO₂–Al₂O₃ catalysts under oxygen and hydrogen atmosphere was conducted by means of thermal gravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry (TG/DSC), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). A simultaneous TG/DSC measurement revealed that the heat evolved during oxygen adsorption at 25 °C varied slightly with the supports and had a higher value for the smaller palladium crystallite. Hydrogen chemisorption and BET measurements revealed that the coating of Pd/Al₂O₃ catalysts with titania modified the support character to achieve a high dispersion of palladium. TPR and TPD characterizations of oxidized samples further demonstrated that the coating of Pd/Al₂O₃ catalysts with titania promoted the reduction and decomposition of PdO into palladium.     

Oxygen desorption from polycrystalline palladium: Thermal desorption of O<Subscript>2</Subscript> from a chemisorbed layer of O<Subscript>ads</Subscript> in the course of the decomposition of PdO surface oxide and in the release of oxygen from the bulk of palladium

The desorption of oxygen from polycrystalline palladium (Pd(poly)) was studied using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) at 500–1300 K and the amounts of oxygen absorbed by palladium (n) from 0.05 to 50 monolayers. It was found that the desorption of O₂ from Pd(poly), which occurred from a chemisorbed oxygen layer (O_ads), in the release of oxygen from a near-surface metal layer in the course of the decomposition of PdO surface oxide, and in the release of oxygen from the bulk of palladium (O_abs), was governed by repulsive interactions between O_ads atoms and the formation and decomposition of O_ads-Pd*-O_abs structures (Pd* is a surface palladium atom). At θ ≤ 0.5, the repulsive interactions between O_ads atoms (ɛ_aa = 10 kJ/mol) resulted in the desorption of O₂ from Pd(poly) at 650–950 K. At 0.5 ≤ n ≤ 1.0, the release of inserted oxygen from a near-surface palladium layer occurred during TPD in the course of the migration of O_abs atoms to the surface and the formation-decomposition of O_ads-Pd*-O_abs structures. As a result, the desorption of O₂ occurred in accordance with a first-order reaction with a thermal desorption (TD) peak at T _max ∼ 700 K. At 1.0 ≤ n ≤ 2.0, the decomposition of PdO surface oxide occurred at a constant surface cover-age with oxygen during TPD in the course of the formation-decomposition of O_ads-Pd*-O_abs structures. Because of this, the desorption of O₂ occurred in accordance with a zero-order reaction at low temperatures with a TD peak at T _max ∼ 675 K. At 1.0 ≤ n ≤ 50, oxygen atoms diffused from deep palladium layers in the course of TPD and arrived at the surface at high temperatures. As a result, O₂ was desorbed with a high-temperature TD peak at T > 750 K.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of the oxidation of aluminum nanoparticles

The oxidation of aluminum nanoparticles is studied with classical molecular dynamics and the Streitz-Mintmire (Streitz, F. H.; Mintmire, J. W. Phys. Rev. B 1994, 50, 11996) electrostatic plus (ES+) potential that allows for the variation of electrostatic charge on all atoms in the simulation. The structure and charge distributions of bulk crystalline alpha-Al(2)O(3), a surface slab of alpha-Al(2)O(3) with an exposed (0001) basal plane, and an isolated Al(2)O(3) nanoparticle are studied. Constant NVT simulations of the oxidation of aluminum nanoparticles are also performed with different oxygen exposures. The calculations simulate a thermostated one-time exposure of an aluminum nanoparticle to different numbers of surface oxygen atoms. In the first set of oxidation studies, the overall approximate ratios of Al to O in the nanoparticle are 1:1 and 2:1. The nanoparticles are annealed to 3000 K and are then cooled to 500, 1000, or 1500 K. The atomic kinetic energy is scaled during the simulation to maintain the desired temperature. The structure and charge distributions in the oxidized nanoparticles differ from each other and from those of the bulk Al(2)O(3) phases. In the Al(1)O(1) simulation, an oxide shell forms that stabilizes the shape of the particle, and thus the original structure of the nanoparticle is approximately retained. In the case of Al(1)O(0.5), there is insufficient oxygen to form a complete oxide shell, and the oxidation results in particles of irregular shapes and rough surfaces. The particle surface is rough, and the nanoparticle is deformed.     

Pd2+/Pd0 redox cycling in hexagonal YMn(0.5)Fe(0.5)O3: implications for catalysis by PGM-substituted complex oxides

Complex oxides--containing at least two different cations on crystallographically distinct sites--have recently been shown to display redox cycling of platinum group metals (PGMs), such as Pd; for example, Pd-substituted complex oxides can reversibly extrude metallic Pd under reducing conditions and then reincorporate Pd(2+) ions into the lattice under oxidizing conditions. The title compounds, YMn(0.5)Fe(0.5-x)Pd(x)O(3-δ) (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.07) crystallizing in the noncentrosymmetric YMnO(3) structure, were prepared using a sol-gel process at 800 °C, and the structures were refined from high-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data. Their redox cycling behavior was monitored using synchrotron X-ray diffraction and EXAFS studies. In contrast to the previously studied complex oxide host compounds, YMn(0.5)Fe(0.5-x)Pd(x)O(3-δ) is only modestly tolerant to cycling: repeated redox cycling leads to the formation of PdO, which, on the time-scale of the oxidation cycles, does not reincorporate in the complex oxide lattice. Both oxidized and reduced samples were tested for the oxidation of CO to CO(2) under CO-lean conditions. YMn(0.5)Fe(0.5-x)Pd(x)O(3-δ) performs essentially as well as previously studied YFe(1-x)Pd(x)O(3-δ). The CO oxidation light-off characteristics of the hexagonal hosts are very similar to finely dispersed PdO. Despite evidence that Pd is almost fully dispersed as divalent ions in the host lattice, which is presumably accompanied by the concurrent creation of oxygen vacancies (2 Pd(2+):1 V(O(2-))), the as-prepared hexagonal materials do not display any significant improvement in catalytic activity as a function of Pd substitution level. This suggests that the corner-connected trigonal bipyramids that characterize this structural family do not enable the transport of oxygen through the bulk of the lattice. The study casts light on factors in the solid-state chemistry of precious metal-substituted complex oxides that influence the efficacy of redox cycling of the precious metal, and catalytic performance.     

负载型Pd/SnO2催化剂低温催化甲烷燃烧

天然气储量巨大,被广泛应用于发电和工业窑炉等.甲烷作为天然气中最主要的成分,是氢碳比最高的碳氢化合物,其温室效应显著.因此,不完全燃烧所引起的CH4排放,不仅导致能源浪费,同时也可造成环境污染.与传统火焰燃烧相比,CH4催化燃烧具有更高的燃烧效率,并可显著地减少大气污染物(CO,NOx和未完全燃烧的烃类)的排放.贵金属Pd催化剂对CH4催化燃烧表现出优异的催化性能,其中Pd颗粒的尺寸、Pd的化学状态、载体性质及其与Pd之间的相互作用等对其活性有显著影响.本文以不同温度(600,800,1000和1200℃)焙烧所得SnO2为载体,通过等体积浸渍法制备了Pd/SnO2催化剂,研究了SnO2焙烧温度对CH4催化燃烧性能的影响.结果表明,所制备的SnO2均为锐钛矿结构,并且随着SnO2焙烧温度的升高,晶型愈加完美,晶粒尺寸显著增大.催化剂中引入的Pd以高分散形式存在,CH4催化燃烧反应活性随着载体SnO2焙烧温度的升高而显著提高,其中Pd/SnO2(1200)表现出最高的CH4燃烧活性,起燃温度和最低全转化温度分别为265和390℃.在反应温度为300℃时,Pd/SnO2(1200)上甲烷的反应速率是Pd/SnO2(600)的36倍.XPS等结果表明,随着SnO2焙烧温度的升高,Pd的化学状态也有所差异:对于低温焙烧的SnO2(<800℃),Pd以Pd4+的形式进入到SnO2晶格内;随着焙烧温度的升高(>1000℃),Pd以Pd2+物种的形式存在于载体表面.结合活性评价结果推测,Pd的化学状态可能并非是影响催化剂活性的最关键因素.TEM等结果表明,Pd/SnO2(1000)上PdO的(101)晶面与载体SnO2的(101)晶面相近,分别为0.2641 nm和0.2638 nm.O2-TPD和CH4-TPR结果表明,Pd/SnO2(1200)催化剂上单位Pd原子上O2的脱附量是Pd/SnO2(600)的3倍,单位Pd原子上CH4的消耗量比催化剂Pd/SnO2(600)高出45%.因此,PdO和SnO2在构型上存在的晶面匹配可提高催化剂对O2的活化能力.综上所述,SnO2和贵金属之间的晶格匹配有利于氧在Pd-SnO2界面的活化,同时载体SnO2中的晶格氧亦可以通过"氧反溢流机理"补充到表面PdO/Pd上,从而增强催化剂对O2的吸附和活化能力,并提高CH4催化燃烧反应性能.升高SnO2的焙烧温度可强化SnO2和贵金属之间的晶格匹配,从而使催化剂活性随着SnO2焙烧温度升高而增大.     

Reorganization of small Co particles on Al2O3 surfaces monitored by ferromagnetic resonance

Changes of the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic Co particles deposited on the radical31 x radical31R +/- 9 degrees reconstructed alpha-Al2O3(0001) as well as on a thin alumina film grown on a NiAl(110) substrate were investigated as a function of thermal annealing. On the thin film changes of the magnetic response were found above 500 K which correlates with changes in the particle size distribution. Annealing to 870 K leads to a permeation of the metal though the oxide film which causes significant changes in the ferromagnetic resonance response. On the alpha-Al2O3 single crystal sintering of particles requires temperatures above 600 K being about 100 K higher as compared to the thin alumina film. For large clusters intraparticle redistribution takes place already below 600 K a phenomenon not observed for the small clusters. In addition, a significant dependence of the measured g values from the substrate as well as the thermal treatment is found which can be understood in terms of the structural properties of the systems.     

Oxygen dissolution in polycrystalline palladium at O2 pressures of 0.1 to 100 Pa

Oxygen dissolution in polycrystalline palladium Pd(poly) at O₂ pressures ( $P_{O_2 } $ ) of 0.1 to 100 Pa and a temperature of 600 K has been investigated by temperature-programmed desorption. The dissolution process under these conditions includes O₂ chemisorption on the oxide film surface, the insertion of Oads atoms under the oxide layer, and their diffusion into the subsurface layers of palladium. During chemisorption, a structure ensuring that the O_ads coverage of the surface increases with increasing $P_{O_2 } $ forms on the surface of the oxide film. This is favorable for O_ads penetration through the oxide film and increases the amount of absorbed oxygen. The O_ads coverage of the surface calculated via the Langmuir equation at an O₂ desorption activation energy of E _des = 125 kJ/mol correlates with the number of absorbed oxygen monolayers (n). At n ≥ 1, oxygen absorption by Pd(poly) is due to the diffusion of O atoms in the palladium lattice. After the accumulation of 14–18 oxygen monolayers in the subsurface layers of palladium, oxygen absorption practically stops depending on $P_{O_2 } $ . Thus, the acceleration of oxygen dissolution in palladium is due to the formation of the surface oxide film and the increase in the O_ads coverage of this film, which facilitates the insertion of O_ads atoms into the subsurface layers of palladium.     

Synthesis of Fe(3)O(4)/PdO heterodimer nanocrystals in silica nanospheres and their controllable transformation into Fe(3)O(4)/Pd heterodimers and FePd nanocrystals

The thermal annealing of silica nanospheres encapsulating Fe(3)O(4) nanocrystals and Pd(2+) complexes led to the formation of heterodimers consisting of Fe(3)O(4) and PdO nanoparticles encapsulated in a silica shell, allowing for their controllable transformation into either Fe(3)O(4)/Pd heterodimers or FePd alloy nanocrystals through a solid state reduction process.     

Dehydrogenation of dodecahydro-N-ethylcarbazole on Pd/Al2O3 model catalysts

To elucidate the dehydrogenation mechanism of dodecahydro-N-ethylcarbazole (H(12)-NEC) on supported Pd catalysts, we have performed a model study under ultra high vacuum (UHV) conditions. H(12)-NEC and its final dehydrogenation product, N-ethylcarbazole (NEC), were deposited by physical vapor deposition (PVD) at temperatures between 120 K and 520 K onto a supported model catalyst, which consisted of Pd nanoparticles grown on a well-ordered alumina film on NiAl(110). Adsorption and thermally induced surface reactions were followed by infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) and high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HR-XPS) in combination with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It was shown that, at 120 K, H(12)-NEC adsorbs molecularly both on the Al(2)O(3)/NiAl(110) support and on the Pd particles. Initial activation of the molecule occurs through C-H bond scission at the 8a- and 9a-positions of the carbazole skeleton at temperatures above 170 K. Dehydrogenation successively proceeds with increasing temperature. Around 350 K, breakage of one C-N bond occurs accompanied by further dehydrogenation of the carbon skeleton. The decomposition intermediates reside on the surface up to 500 K. At higher temperatures, further decay to small fragments and atomic species is observed. These species block most of the absorption sites on the Pd particles, but can be oxidatively removed by heating in oxygen at 600 K, fully restoring the original adsorption properties of the model catalyst.     

Acetone and water on TiO2(110): H/D exchange

Isotopic H/D exchange between coadsorbed acetone and water on the TiO2(110) surface was examined using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) as a function of coverage and two surface pretreatments (O2 oxidation and mild vacuum reduction). Coadsorbed acetone and water interact repulsively on reduced TiO2(110) on the basis of results from the companion paper to this study, with water exerting a greater influence in destabilizing acetone and acetone having only a nominal influence on water. Despite the repulsive interaction between these coadsorbates, about 0.02 monolayers (ML) of a 1 ML d6-acetone on the reduced surface (vacuum annealed at 850 K to a surface oxygen vacancy population of 7%) exhibits H/D exchange with coadsorbed water, with the exchange occurring exclusively in the high-temperature region of the d6-acetone TPD spectrum at approximately 340 K. The effect was confirmed with combinations of d0-acetone and D2O. The extent of exchange decreased on the reduced surface for water coverages above approximately 0.3 ML due to the ability of water to displace coadsorbed acetone from first layer sites to the multilayer. In contrast, the extent of exchange increased by a factor of 3 when surface oxygen vacancies were pre-oxidized with O2 prior to coadsorption. In this case, there was no evidence for the negative influence of high water coverages on the extent of H/D exchange. Comparison of the TPD spectra from the exchange products (either d1- or d5-acetone depending on the coadsorption pairing) suggests that, in addition to the 340 K exchange process seen on the reduced surface, a second exchange process was observed on the oxidized surface at approximately 390 K. In both cases (oxidized and reduced), desorption of the H/D exchange products appeared to be reaction limited and to involve the influence of OH/OD groups (or water formed during recombinative desorption of OH/OD groups) instead of molecularly adsorbed water. The 340 K exchange process is assigned to reaction at step sites, and the 390 K exchange process is attributed to the influence of oxygen adatoms deposited during surface oxidation. The H/D exchange mechanism likely involves an enolate or propenol surface intermediate formed transiently during the desorption of oxygen-stabilized acetone molecules.