Growth, Structure, and Stability of Ag on Ordered ZrO2(111) Films

Among various metal oxides, ZrO2 is of particular interests and has received widespread attention thanks to its ideal mechanical and chemical stability. As a cheap metal, Ag nanoparticles are also widely used as catalysts in ethylene epoxidation and methanol oxidation. However, the nature of Ag-ZrO2 interfaces is still unknown. In this work, the growth, interfacial interaction and thermal stability of Ag nanoparticles on ZrO2(111) film surfaces were studied by low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy (SRPES), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The ZrO2(111) films were epitaxially grown on Pt(111). Three-dimensional (3D) growth model of Ag on the ZrO2(111) surface at 300 K was observed with a density of ${\sim}2.0{\times}1012particles/cm2$. The binding energy of Ag 3d shifts to low BE from very low to high Ag coverages by 0.5 eV. The Auger parameters shows the primary contribution to the Ag core level BE shift is final state effect, indicating a very weak interaction between Ag clusters and ZrO2(111) film. Thermal stability experiments demonstrate that Ag particles underwent serious sintering before they desorb from the zirconia film surface. In addition, large Ag particles have stronger ability of inhibiting sintering.