High‐Pressure‐Induced Pseudo‐oxidation of Copper Surfaces by Carbon Monoxide

Journal Article · 09 April 2016 · ChemCatChem

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.201600046 · OSTI ID:1400553

Zhang, Xueqiang  ^[1]; Ptasinska, Sylwia ^[2]

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1. Radiation Laboratory and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Notre Dame Notre Dame IN 46556 USA
2. Radiation Laboratory and Department of Physics University of Notre Dame Notre Dame IN 46556 USA

Abstract Instantaneous electronic and structural modifications of Cu surfaces by high‐pressure CO were explored. At pressures over a millibar range the coverage of CO on the Cu(1 1 1) surface reached approximately one monolayer, and we observed several shake‐up peaks in the Cu 2p photoemission spectra for the first time by using ambient pressure X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These shake‐up peaks resembled those obtained for oxidized surface Cu atoms. We propose that these changes are related to the generation of a copper–carbonyl complex and subsequent Cu surface restructuring owing to lateral CO–CO repulsions. The generality of this finding was investigated in two model reactions, the water‐gas shift and CO oxidation, on a Cu(1 1 1) surface, and we clearly identified the pseudo‐oxidation of Cu. These reversible changes were found to be independent of the orientation of the Cu surface and are of general importance for Cu‐based heterogeneous catalysis.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: FC02-04ER15533
• OSTI ID: 1400553
• Journal Information: ChemCatChem, Journal Name: ChemCatChem Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 8; ISSN 1867-3880
• Publisher: Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
• Country of Publication: Germany
• Language: English