Design of a surface alloy catalyst for steam reforming

Design of a surface alloy catalyst for steam reforming

by F. Besenbacher, I. Chorkendorff, B. S. Clausen, B. Hammer, A. M. Molenbroek, J. K. Nørskov, and I. Stensgaard.

Science, 279, 1913 (1998).

Abstract

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.