Fabrication of 2-dimensional platinum nanocatalyst arrays by electron beam lithography: ethylene hydrogenation and CO-poisoning reaction studies

Electron beam lithography (EBL) has been used to fabricate platinum nanoparticle arrays in the 20-nm size range on oxide thin films of silica and alumina deposited onto silicon wafers. A combination of characterization techniques (SEM, AFM, XPS, AES) has been used to determine size, spatial arrangement and cleanliness of these fabricated catalysts. Ethylene hydrogenation reaction studies have been carried out over these platinum nanoarrays and have revealed major differences in turnover rates and activation energies of the different nanostructures when clean and when poisoned with carbon monoxide. The oxide–metal interfaces are implicated as important reaction sites that remain active when the metal sites are poisoned by adsorbed carbon monoxide.