Experimental study of intermediates and wave phenomena in co oxidation on platinum metal (Pt,Pd) surfaces

The mechanism of catalytic CO oxidation on Pt(100) and Pd(110) single-crystal surfaces and on Pt and Pd sharp tip (～10³ Å) surfaces has been studied experimentally by temperature-programmed reaction, temperature desorption spectroscopy, field electron microscopy, and molecular beam techniques. Using the density functional theory the equilibrium states and stretching vibrations of oxygen atoms adsorbed on the Pt(100) surface have been calculated. The character of the mixed adsorption layer was established by high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy—molecular adsorption (O_2ads, CO_ads) on Pt(100)-hex and dissociative adsorption (O_ads, CO_ads) on Pt(100)-(1×1). The origin of kinetic self-oscillations for the isothermal oxidation of CO in situ was studied in detail on the Pt and Pd tips by field electron microscopy. The initiating role of the reversible phase transition (hex) ? (1 × 1) of the Pt(100) nanoplane in the generation of regular chemical waves was established. The origination of self-oscillations and waves on the Pt(100) nanoplane was shown to be caused by the spontaneous periodical transition of the metal from the low-active state (hex) to the highly active catalytic state (1 × 1). A relationship between the reactivity of oxygen atoms (O_ads) and the concentration of CO_ads molecules was revealed for the Pd(110) surface. Studies using the isotope label ¹⁸O_ads demonstrated that the low-temperature formation of CO₂ at 150 K is a result of the reaction of CO with the highly reactive state of atomic oxygen (O_ads). The possibility of the low-temperature oxidation of CO via interaction with the so-called “hot” oxygen atoms (O_hot) appearing on the surface at the instant of dissociation of O_2ads molecules was studied by the molecular beam techniques.