title: Distribution of Pd clusters on ultrathin, epitaxial TiO x films on Pt3Ti(111).
abstract: Scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) was used to investigate the nucleation and growth of palladium clusters on two different, ultrathin, epitaxial, titania films grown on a Pt3Ti(111) surface. The first oxide phase, z'-TiO x , is anisotropic and consists of parallel stripes separated by trenches. Defects (i.e., oxygen vacancies) in this structure are confined to these trenches and act as nucleation sites. Therefore, the Pd clusters are mostly arranged in unidirectional rows along the trenches, creating a template effect. The second phase, w'-TiO x , exhibits a hexagonal, long range, (7 × 7)R21.8°, Moiré-type superstructure with fewer and shallower defects, making the template effect less discernible.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstraße 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Breinlich
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstraße 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany ; Institute of Functional Interfaces, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buchholz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstraße 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany ; Peter Grünberg Institute, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, D-52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moors
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstraße 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pertram
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstraße 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany ; Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, CINaM UMR 7325, 13288 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Conrad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstraße 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany ; Institute of Experimental Physics, University of Wroclaw, Pl. Maksa Borna, 50-204 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wandelt
keywords: cluster growth; palladium; platinum–titanium alloy; scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM); template; titanium oxide