Design of a surface alloy catalyst for steam reforming

Design of a surface alloy catalyst for steam reforming
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by F. Besenbacher, I. Chorkendorff, B. S. Clausen, B. Hammer, A. M.
Molenbroek, J. K. Nørskov, and I. Stensgaard.

Science, **279**, 1913 (1998).

Abstract
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Detailed studies of elementary chemical processes on well characterized
single crystal surfaces have contributed substantially to the
understanding of heterogeneous catalysis. It is shown that new insight
into the structure of surface alloys combined with an understanding of
the relation between the surface composition and reactivity can lead
directly to new ideas for catalyst design. The feasibility of such an
approach is illustrated by the synthesis, characterization, and tests of
a high surface area Au/Ni catalyst for steam reforming.