Overcoming the Strong Metal−Support Interaction State: CO Oxidation on TiO2(110)-Supported Pt Nanoclusters

We combine low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and measurements of the catalytic activity to establish a structure−reactivity correlation for the CO oxidation on Pt nanoclusters on rutile TiO2(110)-(1 × 1). Annealing of the clusters to 1100 K leads to their encapsulation by a reduced titania layer. We present a method how this catalytically passive strong metal−support interaction state can be transformed into a very active one. We believe that our method is of general interest well beyond the presented system.