reaction schematic (IMAGE)
Caption
Scientists studying a water gas shift reaction catalyst made of platinum atoms (red and blue) on a cerium oxide (CeOx) surface discovered that only some platinum atoms around the periphery of the nanoparticle (shiny dark red) get activated to take part in the reaction. These activated platinum atoms transfer oxygen from OH groups (originally from water molecules) to carbon monoxide (CO), transforming it to CO2, leaving the H to combine with atomic hydrogen to form H2. Understanding these dynamics may help scientists design catalysts that require fewer platinum atoms.
Credit
Brookhaven National Laboratory
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