Ceria nanoformations in CO oxidation on Pt(1 1 1): Promotional effects and reversible redox behaviour

A well-defined CeOx/Pt(1 1 1) model catalytic system has been fabricated using the self-assembling of Ce adatoms on a Pt(1 1 1) surface with a subsequent oxidation of the nucleating Ce submonolayer (0.3 ML). The resulting system of the “inverse supported catalyst” type consists of CeOx nanoformations (2D islands of 5–15 nm size and ∼0.3 nm in height) more or less uniformly distributed over the Pt(1 1 1) surface. This CeOx/Pt(1 1 1) system has been tested in the CO oxidation reaction where both the CO2 production rate and the Ce oxidation state were monitored in situ. An enhanced reactivity and a remarkable shift of the bistable region of the reaction towards higher CO pressures were observed when compared to a clean Pt(1 1 1) surface. The CeOx islands exhibit a pronounced redox behaviour that follows the hysteresis cycle of the reaction. The usefulness of such a type of the “inverse model catalyst” for studying the oxygen diffusion supply and the redox behaviour of ceria in the ceria-platinum catalysts is demonstrated.