title: High sintering resistance of size-selected platinum cluster catalysts by suppressed Ostwald ripening.
abstract: Employing rationally designed model systems with precise atom-by-atom particle size control, we demonstrate by means of combining noninvasive in situ indirect nanoplasmonic sensing and ex situ scanning transmission electron microscopy that monomodal size-selected platinum cluster catalysts on different supports exhibit remarkable intrinsic sintering resistance even under reaction conditions. The observed stability is related to suppression of Ostwald ripening by elimination of its main driving force via size-selection. This study thus constitutes a general blueprint for the rational design of sintering resistant catalyst systems and for efficient experimental strategies to determine sintering mechanisms. Moreover, this is the first systematic experimental investigation of sintering processes in nanoparticle systems with an initially perfectly monomodal size distribution under ambient conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, Chalmers University of Technology , 41296 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wettergren
authors.forename: Florian F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Schweinberger
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deiana
authors.forename: Claron J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ridge
authors.forename: Andrew S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Crampton
authors.forename: Marian D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Rötzer
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Vladimir P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Zhdanov
authors.forename: Ueli
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Heiz
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Langhammer
keywords: Ostwald ripening; Size-selected clusters; indirect nanoplasmonic sensing; platinum; sintering resistance