Investigations of Structure Sensitivity in Heterogeneous Catalysis: From Single Crystals to Monodisperse Nanoparticles

Metal surface structure is often a crucial component in determining the activity and selectivity of heterogeneous catalytic reactions. Many important industrial reactions, such as ammonia synthesis, catalytic combustion, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, and hydrocarbon reforming have been labeled as structure-sensitive. Metal single crystal studies utilizing ultra high vacuum techniques have repeatedly shown the importance of surface structure in reaction kinetics. Recent advances in the field of colloidal synthesis allow for fine control of the size and shape of metal nanoparticles, which permits catalytic studies of structure sensitivity to be performed on nanometer sized catalysts. It is clear that in order to optimize the performance of a catalyst, a complete molecular level understanding of the role of surface structure in the reaction of interest is essential. This article aims to review the importance of surface structure in heterogeneous catalysts, ranging from single crystals to size and shape controlled nanocatalysts.