Oxygen surface mobility and isotopic exchange on oxides: role of the nature and the structure of metal particles

Oxygen surface mobility on oxides-supported metals has been studied for man y years in our laboratory. The first step of the process is the activation of the oxygen molecule on the metal particle. Measurements of the kinetics of the adsorption-desorption of oxygen on metal surfaces were possible by t he way of isotopic exchange studies. The influence of the nature of the met al, of the accessibility of the metal, of the oxide support are reviewed. ( C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.