Adsorption of gases on complex: Solid surfaces

During the last thirty years the research field of surface science with its various disciplines has progressively played a more and more important role in the field of catalysis. The main focus of attention for a long time was research on metal surfaces, on which, in time, the whole spectrum of developed surface analytical methods was applied. This led to a better understanding of the mechanisms of catalytic reactions, such as the synthesis of ammonia and the oxidation of CO, especially through the work of Gerhard Ertl. In contrast to clean metal surfaces, surfaces of real catalysts are complex entities, the structures of which can have a strong influence on the processes occurring on the surface. Thus, it seems logical to employ the typical structural characteristics and the morphology of the catalytic surface as guidelines in the investigation of complex model systems. In this review the preparation, and structural and elec- tronic characterization of such model systems will be discussed. Clean surfaces of catalytically active oxides, as well as model systems for dispersed transition metal/support catalysts will be characterized in terms of their morphology and electronic structure as well as their adsorption and reaction capabilities.