Oxygen-rich Ti1-xO2 pillar growth at a gold nanoparticle-TiO2 contact by O2 exposure

In situ gas-Injection transmission electron microscopy revealed that a pillar grew at the edge of the interface of a gold nanoparticle and a TiO2 substrate during exposure to O-2 gas at 100 Pa The pillar was found to have a titanium-deficient chemical composition of Ti1-xO2 (x>0) by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) The spectra showed a chemical shift of oxygen and titanium ions to have ionic states of Ti3+ and Oy- (y<3/2) The formation of the Ti1-xO2 at the contact edge of gold-Ti1-xO2 Interface is discussed from the perspective of an O-2 affinity which plays an important role in CO oxidation process of supported gold particle Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B V All rights reserved