Strong Metal–Support Interaction and Reactivity of Ultrathin Oxide Films

Noble metal particles supported on transition metal oxides (TMO) may undergo a so-called strong metal–support interaction via encapsulation. This perspective addresses catalytic properties of the metal catalysts in the SMSI state which can be explained on the basis of complementary studies performed on well-defined, metal-supported TMO films. In particular, the results of low temperature CO oxidation revealed the key role of weakly bound oxygen species provided by a two-dimensional (“monolayer”) oxide film. The binding energy of such oxygen atoms can be used as a descriptor for oxidation activity. Reaction rate enhancement often observed for TMO films partially covering the metal surface is rationalized within a mechanism in which the metal acts as a promoter to create the most active “oxidered/oxideox” interface formed by reduced and oxidized phases in the film. Although only low temperature CO oxidation is considered, it is tempting to generalize these ideas to other oxidation reactions following the Mars–van Krevelen type mechanism. In addition, metal-supported ultrathin TMO films may serve as well-defined model systems to examine different aspects of the “electron theory of catalysis” which was proposed long ago and which is based on electron transfer mechanisms