ISSN:
1572-879X
Keywords:
Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)
;
ammonia synthesis catalysts
;
surface chemistry
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
Notes:
Abstract The possibility of studying the texture of catalysts at the atomic level by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) is demonstrated. It is shown that high resolution pictures can be obtained even for a passivated ammonia synthesis catalyst using a scanning tunneling microscope operating in air. The STM results reveal that the catalyst has a spongy pore structure with both hole and slit shaped pores. The catalyst surfaces are observed to contain fine quite regular ridge structures with a direction that tentatively is related to the (110) direction of iron. The presence of the ridge structures is apparently the result of the topotactic nature of the reduction process and a preference to expose (111) Fe facets.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00764189
Permalink