chemistry

INTRODUCTION In recent years, metal nanoparticles and thin films supported on oxides have become fundamental components of many devices as their small dimensions present structures with new chemical and physical properties, often enhancing the reactivity of these surfaces relative to their bulk counterparts. Numerous theoretical and experimental studies show that the metal particle size and shape as well as direct adsorbate interactions with the oxide support can each play a key role in enhancing the reactivity of these surfaces.  Further investigations imply that the support material mayalso influence the metal’s intrinsic reactivity at these surfaces.  However, these studies were not able to isolate this effect from those of particle size, shape, and direct adsorbate-support interactions. It was not until recently that Chen and Goodman probed the influence of the oxide support material on the intrinsic properties at the metal surface. By covering a titania support with one o...