title: Elucidating the structure of surface acid sites on γ-Al2O3.
abstract: Differential pair distribution function analysis was applied to resolve, with crystallographic detail, the structure of catalytic sites on the surface of nanoscale γ-Al(2)O(3). The structure was determined for a basic probe molecule, monomethylamine (MMA), bound at the minority Lewis acid sites. These active sites were found to be five-coordinate, forming distorted octahedra upon MMA binding. This approach could be applied to study the interaction of molecules at surfaces in dye-sensitized solar cells, nanoparticles, sensors, materials for waste remediation, and catalysts.
authors.affiliation: X-ray Science Division, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA. chupas@aps.anl.gov
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Chupas
authors.forename: Karena W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Halder