Surface structure oxidized alloys, correlation

Before any attempt to establish a correlation between the surface structure of the oxidized alloys and their CO conversion activity one must stress that the surface composition of the samples under reaction conditions may not necessarily be Identical to that determined from ESCA data. Moreover, surface nickel content estimates from ESCA relative Intensity measurements are at best seml-quantlta-tlve. This can be readily rationalized If one takes Into consideration ESCA finite escape depth, the dependence of ESCA Intensity ratio... 

Flaws in the anodic oxide film are usually the primary source of electronic conduction. These flaws are either structural or chemical in nature. The structural flaws include thermal crystalline oxide, nitrides, carbides, inclusion of foreign phases, and oxide recrystallized by an applied electric field. The roughness of the tantalum surface affects the electronic conduction and should be classified as a structural flaw (58) the correlation between electronic conduction and roughness, however, was not observed (59). Chemical impurities arise from metals alloyed with the tantalum, inclusions in the oxide of material from the formation electrolyte, and impurities on the surface of the tantalum substrate that are incorporated in the oxide during formation. 

To quantily the metal dissolution trends, and to offer comparisons of the stability of surface Pt atoms in different environments, we reported the development and application of a computational approach based on first-principles calculations on metal slabs, using the methodologies explained in this chapter. The method allows us to evaluate the electrochemical potential shift AU (V) for the dissolution of Pt atoms in an alloy surface, relative to the potential at which the same reaction would take place on pure Pt(lll) surfaces. Recent investigations in our lab have found interesting correlations between the potential shift for the onset of surface oxidation of Pt in Pt-based alloys with respect to the same potential in pure Pt surfaces and the d-band shift of the surface atoms, reflecting the changes in the electronic structure due to alloying. The results will be published elsewhere. 

Bimetallic Pt-Sn catalysts are useful commercially, e.g., for hydrocarbon conversion reactions. In many catalysts, Pt-Sn alloys are formed and play an important role in the catalysis. This is particularly true in recent reports of highly selective oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes [37]. In addition, Pt-Sn alloys have been investigated as electrocatalysts for fuel cells and may have applications as gas sensors. Characterization of the composition and geometric structure of single-crystal Pt-Sn alloy surfaces is important for developing improved correlations of structure with activity and/or selectivity of Pt-Sn catalysts and electrocatalysts. 

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