CO-Induced Smoluchowski Ripening of Pt Cluster Arrays on the Graphene/Ir(111) Moire

Regular Pt cluster arrays grown on the moire template formed by graphene on Ir(111) were tested for their stability with respect to CO gas exposure. Cluster stability and adsorption-Induced processes were analyzed as a function of cluster size, with In situ scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Small clusters containing fewer than 10 atoms were unstable upon CO adsorption. They sintered through Smoluchowski ripening-cluster diffusion and coalescence rather than the frequently reported Ostwald ripening mediated by metal-adsorbate complexes. Larger dusters remained immobile upon CO adsorption but became more three-dimensional. Careful analysis of the experimental data complemented by ab initio density functional theory calculations provides insight Into the origin of the CO-induced Pt cluster ripening and shape transformations.