A study of Pd growth on an yttria-stabilized ZrO2(100) surface

Thin palladium (Pd) films on Zr(Y)O-2(100) (9.5 mol% Y2O3) have been studied by AES, LEED, and by TPD of adsorbed nitric oxide ((NO)-N-15). The growth mode at 300 K is predominantly 3D, while changes in the morphology of the Pd particles occur upon annealing. In TPD from (NO)-N-15/Pd/Zr(Y)O-2(100), substantial dissociation of NO is observed resulting in desorption of N-2 in addition to NO. Comparing to recent results for (NO)-N-15 on Pd(112) and Pd(111), dissociation is more dominant on the particles than on the single crystal surfaces. A higher degree of dissociation is observed on freshly deposited Pd films than on annealed films, indicating that the surface of the annealed Pd particles is smoother with larger flat facets. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.