Promoter-induced reactive phase separation in surface reactions.
Promoters are adsorbed mobile species which do not directly participate in a catalytic surface reaction, but can influence its rate. Often, they are characterized by strong attractive interactions with one of the reactants. We show that these conditions lead to a Turing instability of the uniform state and to the formation of reaction-induced periodic concentration patterns. Experimentally such patterns are observed in catalytic water formation on a Rh(110) surface in the presence of coadsorbed potassium.
De Decker
Y
Y
Center for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Plaine, C.P. 231. B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Marbach
H
H
Hinz
M
M
Günther
S
S
Kiskinova
M
M
Mikhailov
A S
AS
Imbihl
R
R