The Interplay between Structure and CO Oxidation Catalysis on Metal‐Supported Ultrathin Oxide Films

Abstract

Thickness matters: Ultrathin oxide films on metals can greatly enhance catalytic activity, for example, in CO oxidation on an FeO(111) film grown on a Pt(111) substrate. Under the reaction conditions, the bilayer FeO film restructures to form a trilayer OFeO film (see picture). Experimental evidence for the structure/morphology of the film and theoretical modeling of the mechanism of its formation and CO oxidation on its surface are presented.