Elucidating the activity of stepped Pt single crystals for oxygen reduction

The unexpectedly high measured activity of Pt[n(111) x (111)] and Pt[n(111) x (100)] stepped single crystal surfaces towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is explained utilizing the hydroxyl binding energy as the activity descriptor. Using this descriptor (estimated using experimental data obtained by different groups), a well-defined Sabatier-type volcano is observed for the activities measured for the Pt[n(111) x (111)] and Pt[n(111) x (100)] stepped single crystals, in remarkable agreement with earlier theoretical studies. We propose that the observed destabilisation of *OH species at these surfaces is due to the decreased solvation of the adsorbed hydroxyl intermediates on adjacent terrace sites.