Squeezing and stretching Pd thin films: A high-resolution STM study of Pd/Au(111) and Pd/Cu(111) bimetallics

Abstract

Pd bimetallic alloys are promising catalysts, especially for heterogeneous reactions involving hydrogen, as they exhibit increased activity and reduced demand for expensive precious metals. Using scanning tunneling microscopy, we examine the structure of Pd thin films on Cu(111) and Au(111) and demonstrate compression and expansion, respectively, of the bulk Pd lattice constant in the film. The relative binding strength of H to the two surfaces, inferred via tip-induced diffusion barriers, suggests that the strain in these systems may alter adsorbate binding and corroborates well-known trends in d-band shifts calculated by the density functional theory. Modification to the topography and activity of Pd films based on the choice of substrate metal illustrates the value of bimetallic systems for designing less expensive, tunable catalysts.