Small Supported Metal Particles

The saturation coverage during chemisorption on a clean transition-metal surface is controlled by the fonnation of a chemical bond at a specific site [5] and not necessarily by the area of the molecule. In addition, in this case, the heat of chemisorption of the first monolayer is substantially higher than for the second and subsequent layers where adsorption is via weaker van der Waals interactions. Chemisorption is often usefLil for measuring the area of a specific component of a multi-component surface, for example, the area of small metal particles adsorbed onto a high-surface-area support [6], but not for measuring the total area of the sample. Surface areas measured using this method are specific to the molecule that chemisorbs on the surface. Carbon monoxide titration is therefore often used to define the number of sites available on a supported metal catalyst. In order to measure the total surface area, adsorbates must be selected that interact relatively weakly with the substrate so that the area occupied by each adsorbent is dominated by intennolecular interactions and the area occupied by each molecule is approximately defined by van der Waals radii. This... 

In Chapter 1 we emphasized that the properties of a heterogeneous catalyst surface are determined by its composition and structure on the atomic scale. Hence, from a fundamental point of view, the ultimate goal of catalyst characterization should be to examine the surface atom by atom under the reaction conditions under which the catalyst operates, i.e. in situ. However, a catalyst often consists of small particles of metal, oxide, or sulfide on a support material. Chemical promoters may have been added to the catalyst to optimize its activity and/or selectivity, and structural promoters may have been incorporated to improve the mechanical properties and stabilize the particles against sintering. As a result, a heterogeneous catalyst can be quite complex. Moreover, the state of the catalytic surface generally depends on the conditions under which it is used. 

Catalysts can be metals, oxides, sulfides, carbides, nitrides, acids, salts, virtually any type of material. Solid catalysts also come in a multitude of forms and can be loose particles, or small particles on a support. The support can be a porous powder, such as aluminium oxide particles, or a large monolithic structure, such as the ceramics used in the exhaust systems of cars. Clays and zeolites can also be solid catalysts. 

The literature of metal-support interactions includes httle about the possible chemical bonding of metal clusters or particles to supports. Supported molecular metal clusters with carbonyl ligands removed have afforded opportunities to understand the metal-support interface in some detail, and the results provide insights into the bonding of clusters to supports that appear to be generalizable beyond the small clusters to the larger particles of conventional supported metal catalysts [6]. 

As was mentioned previously, photoemission has proved to be a valuable tool for measurement of the electronic structure of metal cluster particles. The information measured includes mapping the cluster DOS, ionization threshold, core-level positions, and adsorbate structure. These studies have been directed mainly toward elucidation of the convergence of these electronic properties towards their bulk analogues. Although we will explore several studies in detail, we can say that studies from different laboratories support the view that particles of 150 atoms or more are required to attain nearly bulk-like photoemission properties of transition and noble metal clusters. This result is probably one of the most firmly established findings in the area of small particles. 

The small metal particle size, large available surface area and homogeneous dispersion of the metal nanoclusters on the supports are key factors in improving the electrocatalytic activity and the anti-polarization ability of the Pt-based catalysts for fuel cells. The alkaline EG synthesis method proved to be of universal significance for preparing different electrocatalysts of supported metal and alloy nanoparticles with high metal loadings and excellent cell performances. 

A wide variety of solid materials are used in catalytic processes. Generally, the (surface) structure of metal and supported metal catalysts is relatively simple. For that reason, we will first focus on metal catalysts. Supported metal catalysts are produced in many forms. Often, their preparation involves impregnation or ion exchange, followed by calcination and reduction. Depending on the conditions quite different catalyst systems are produced. When crystalline sizes are not very small, typically > 5 nm, the metal crystals behave like bulk crystals with similar crystal faces. However, in catalysis smaller particles are often used. They are referred to as crystallites , aggregates , or clusters . When the dimensions are not known we will refer to them as particles . In principle, the structure of oxidic catalysts is more complex than that of metal catalysts. The surface often contains different types of active sites a combination of acid and basic sites on one catalyst is quite common. 

Summing up this section, we would like to note that understanding size effects in electrocatalysis requires the application of appropriate model systems that on the one hand represent the intrinsic properties of supported metal nanoparticles, such as small size and interaction with their support, and on the other allow straightforward separation between kinetic, ohmic, and mass transport (internal and external) losses and control of readsorption effects. This requirement is met, for example, by metal particles and nanoparticle arrays on flat nonporous supports. Their investigation allows unambiguous access to reaction kinetics and control of catalyst structure. However, in order to understand how catalysts will behave in the fuel cell environment, these studies must be complemented with GDE and MEA tests to account for the presence of aqueous electrolyte in model experiments. 

Fe/Ir catalysts on silica and alumina Fe and Ir Mossbauer spectroscopy silica- and alumina-supported Fe-Ir catalysts formed by calcination in air contain mixtures of small particles of Fe(III) oxide and Ir(IV) oxide. IrOz is reduced in hydrogen to metallic Ir. a-Fe203 on SiOz is reduced in hydrogen to an Fe-Ir alloy, whilst supported on alumina stabilizes in hydrogen as Fe(II). Possible use for methanol formation is discussed... 

As catalysis proceeds at the surface, a catalyst should preferably consist of small particles with a high fraction of surface atoms. This is often achieved by dispersing particles on porous supports such as silica, alumina, titania or carbon (see Fig. 1.2). Unsupported catalysts are also in use. The iron catalysts for ammonia synthesis and CO hydrogenation (the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis) or the mixed metal oxide catalysts for production of acrylonitrile from propylene and ammonia form examples. 

Of direct interest for photoemission of supported catalysts is that similar increases in the width of d-bands have been observed by Mason in UPS spectra of small metal particles deposited on amorphous carbon and silica substrates [48]. Theoretical calculations by Baetzold et al. [49] indicate that the bulk density of states is reached if Ag particles contain about 150 atoms, which corresponds to a hemispherical particle 2 nm in diameter. Concomitant with the appearance of narrowed d-bands in small particles is the occurrence of an increase in core level binding energies of up to 1 eV. The effect is mainly an initial and only partly a final state effect [48], although many authors have invoked final state - core hole screening effects as the only reason for the increased binding energy. 

A central question with respect to supported metal catalysts is that of the structure of the metal-support interface. Various possibilities have been proposed, varying from interfaces consisting of a mixed metal aluminate or silicate layer [17] or the presence of metal ions which serve as anchors between particle and support [18] to the attractive interaction between ions of the support and the dipoles that these ions induce in the metal particle [19]. EXAFS highlights the atomic surroundings of an atom in the catalyst, and if the supported metal particles are sufficiently small, oxygen atoms in the metal-support interface give a measurable contribution to the EXAFS spectrum. 

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