Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 23: Catalysis and surface reactions – Poster

O 23.10: Poster

Monday, March 9, 2026, 18:00–20:00, P2

Metal clusters on rutile TiO₂(110) as model catalysts: Stability and reactivity under near-ambient pressure conditions — •Jonathan Paul, Marina Isabel de la Higuera Domingo, Lorenz Falling, Florian Kraushofer, Matthias Krinninger, and Barbara A. J. Lechner — Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Chemistry, 85748 Garching, Germany

Clusters frequently exhibit strongly size-dependent catalytic properties and have discrete electronic states, often leading to a particularly high activity in heterogeneous catalysis. However, at the elevated temperatures typically employed in industrial applications, clusters tend to sinter into larger particles, which can lead to a decrease in catalytic activity. Reducible oxide supports, such as titania (TiO₂), are effective materials for stabilizing clusters and can further modify their catalytic behavior through encapsulation effects induced by the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI).

Here, we employ near-ambient-pressure scanning tunneling microscopy (NAP-STM) to investigate how reducing, oxidizing and reaction atmospheres influence the stability, structural dynamics and geometry of Pt and Ni clusters supported on rutile TiO₂(110).[1] Structural insights obtained from microscopy are complemented by a highly sensitive sniffer setup for activity measurements, investigation of reaction mechanisms and determination of turnover frequencies.[2]

[1] F. Kraushofer, et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 39846-39859.

[2] J. Reich, et al. Top. Catal. 2024, 880-891.

Keywords: Clusters; Titania; STM; NAP