Surface Diffusion and Phase Formation

The general analysis of the dependences D(6) without lateral interactions on the inhomogeneous surfaces has been performed [259]. As 6 grows, the random walk of the adspecies in the external field on a lattice with the chaotic sites distribution first causes their increasing and then (on further 6 growth) decreasing active displacement. If the external field is absent or the number of traps is small, this effect is not observed. The dependence D(6) has been computed for different fractions of the casually blocked regions and the variously distributed traps [259]. 

Now possibilities of the MC simulation allow to consider complex surface processes that include various stages with adsorption and desorption, surface reaction and diffusion, surface reconstruction, and new phase formation, etc. Such investigations become today as natural analysis of the experimental studying. The following papers [282-285] can be referred to as corresponding examples. Authors consider the application of the lattice models to the analysis of oscillatory and autowave processes in the reaction of carbon monoxide oxidation over platinum and palladium surfaces, the turbulent and stripes wave patterns caused by limited COads diffusion during CO oxidation over Pd(110) surface, catalytic processes over supported nanoparticles as well as crystallization during catalytic processes. 

These models consider the mechanisms of formation of oscillations a mechanism involving the phase transition of planes Pt(100) (hex) (lxl) and a mechanism with the formation of surface oxides Pd(l 10). The models demonstrate the oscillations of the rate of C02 formation and the concentrations of adsorbed reactants. These oscillations are accompanied by various wave processes on the lattice that models single crystalline surfaces. The effects of the size of the model lattice and the intensity of COads diffusion on the synchronization and the form of oscillations and surface waves are studied. It was shown that it is possible to obtain a wide spectrum of chemical waves (cellular and turbulent structures and spiral and ellipsoid waves) using the lattice models developed [283], Also, the influence of the internal parameters on the shapes of surface concentration waves obtained in simulations under the limited surface diffusion intensity conditions has been studied [284], The hysteresis in oscillatory behavior has been found under step-by-step variation of oxygen partial pressure. Two different oscillatory regimes could exist at one and the same parameters of the reaction. The parameters of oscillations (amplitude, period, and the 

An interpretation of the results for catalytic reaction kinetics on active supported nanoparticles on the scale down to 10nm has been obtained by the MC technique [285]. The technique allows the peculiarities of the reaction performance on the nanometer scale, including the inherent heterogeneity of metal crystallites as well as spontaneous and adsorbate-induced changes of the shape and degree of dispersion of supported catalysts. 

Correlation Between Monte-Carlo Simulations and Kinetic 

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