Gas-induced restructuring of palladium model catalysts studied with atomic force microscopy

• The structure of thin Pd films evaporated onto planar SiO2 substrates changes dramatically during oxygen/hydrogen exposures in ultrahigh vacuum. In this work we have used an atomic force microscope(AFM), operated in the attractive mode, to obtain the three‐dimensional morphology of the Pd surface for different film thicknesses and treatments, and compared the data with transmission electron microscopy(TEM) micrographs. During restructuring, a 100‐Å film changes from being a smooth continuous film with cracks into metal clusters dispersed on the SiO2 support. In the 5‐Å case the metal films are already well dispersed as fabricated. Here the gas exposure instead results in a clustering effect resulting in larger particles. The AFM gives results which are consistent with TEM micrographs but also gives additional information on metal particle shape which can lead to a further understanding of the restructuring process.

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NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

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