CO Oxidation on Stepped Rh Surfaces: μm-Scale Versus Nanoscale

The catalytic CO oxidation reaction on stepped Rh surfaces in the 10 −6 mbar pressure range was studied in situ on individual μm-sized high-Miller-index domains of a polycrystalline Rh foil and on nm-sized facets of a Rh tip, employing photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) and field-ion/field-emission microscopy (FIM/FEM), respectively. Such approach permits a direct comparison of the reaction kinetics for crystallographically different regions under identical reaction conditions. The catalytic activity of the different Rh surfaces, particularly their tolerance towards poisoning by CO, was found to be strongly dependent on the density of steps and defects, as well as on the size (µm vs. nm) of the respective catalytically active surface. Graphic Abstract