Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 23 March 2007:
Vol. 315. no. 5819, pp. 1692 - 1696
DOI: 10.1126/science.1135752
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Reports

Enhanced Bonding of Gold Nanoparticles on Oxidized TiO2(110)

D. Matthey, J. G. Wang, S. Wendt, J. Matthiesen, R. Schaub, E. Lægsgaard, B. Hammer, F. Besenbacher*

We studied the nucleation of gold clusters on TiO2(110) surfaces in three different oxidation states by high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy. The three TiO2(110) supports chosen were (i) reduced (having bridging oxygen vacancies), (ii) hydrated (having bridging hydroxyl groups), and (iii) oxidized (having oxygen adatoms). At room temperature, gold nanoclusters nucleate homogeneously on the terraces of the reduced and oxidized supports, whereas on the hydrated TiO2(110) surface, clusters form preferentially at the step edges. From interplay with density functional theory calculations, we identified two different gold-TiO2(110) adhesion mechanisms for the reduced and oxidized supports. The adhesion of gold clusters is strongest on the oxidized support, and the implications of this finding for catalytic applications are discussed.

Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: fbe{at}inano.dk

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Identification of Active Gold Nanoclusters on Iron Oxide Supports for CO Oxidation.
A. A. Herzing, C. J. Kiely, A. F. Carley, P. Landon, and G. J. Hutchings (2008)
Science 321, 1331-1335
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Role of Interstitial Sites in the Ti3d Defect State in the Band Gap of Titania.
S. Wendt, P. T. Sprunger, E. Lira, G. K. H. Madsen, Z. Li, J. O. Hansen, J. Matthiesen, A. Blekinge-Rasmussen, E. Laegsgaard, B. Hammer, et al. (2008)
Science 320, 1755-1759
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)