Do Quantum Size Effects Control CO Adsorption on Gold Nanoparticles?

Abstract

Monolayer gold islands with a thickness of one or a few monolayers on an FeO(111) substrate are found to exhibit identical CO adsorption behavior as large gold particles (see picture). This result suggests that particle thickness does not play a significant role in CO adsorption, and therefore size effects seen for the low-temperature CO oxidation reaction are not related to quantum size effects.