Facet-Dependent Restructuring and Catalytic Activity of Cu Single Crystals during CO Electro-Oxidation.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the relationship between the surface structure and catalytic activity is central to the rational design of efficient electrocatalysts. While Cu is well-known for its tendency to restructure under reaction conditions, it remains poorly understood how exactly such dynamic structural changes influence the catalytic activity. Here, we combine electrochemistry with in situ electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (EC-STM) to study and directly compare CO electro-oxidation on Cu(111) and Cu(100) single crystals and how it relates to the structural changes on these two faces. We find that both surfaces undergo nanometer-scale restructuring during the reaction, leading to the formation of undercoordinated Cu adatoms, which act as the catalytically active sites for both su

SUBMITTER: Leitner M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12752700 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature