Control of Metal Nanocrystal Size Reveals Metal-Support Interface Role for Ceria Catalysts

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 341; no. 6147; pp. 771 - 773
• Main Authors: Cargnello, Matteo, Doan-Nguyen, Vicky V. T., Gordon, Thomas R., Diaz, Rosa E., Stach, Eric A., Gorte, Raymond J., Fornasiero, Paolo, Murray, Christopher B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 16.08.2013; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Active sites; Aluminum oxide; Atoms; Carbon monoxide; Catalysis; Catalysts; Cerium oxide; Chemical reactions; Chemistry; Diameters; Exact sciences and technology; functional nanomaterials; General and physical chemistry; INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; Metal oxides; Metal particles; Metals; Nanocrystals; nanoparticle assembly; Nanoparticles; Oxidation; Oxygen; Particle size distribution; Roasting; Surface physical chemistry; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; transmission electron microscopy; Metal support interaction; Particle size; Group VIII metal; Transition metal; Palladium; Cerium oxide; Supported catalyst; Heterogeneous catalysis; Platinum; Nickel; Platinoid; Interface; Nanocrystal
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1240148

Interactions between ceria (CeO 2 ) and supported metals greatly enhance rates for a number of important reactions. However, direct relationships between structure and function in these catalysts have been difficult to extract because the samples studied either were heterogeneous or were model systems dissimilar to working catalysts. We report rate measurements on samples in which the length of the ceria-metal interface was tailored by the use of monodisperse nickel, palladium, and platinum nanocrystals. We found that carbon monoxide oxidation in ceria-based catalysts is greatly enhanced at the ceria-metal interface sites for a range of group VIII metal catalysts, clarifying the pivotal role played by the support.