Reactivity of CO on Sulfur-Passivated Graphene-Supported Palladium Nanocluster Arrays

Nanocluster arrays on graphene are suitable model systems for catalysis. We use this model system to study sulfur poisoning, which is a major deactivation process of heterogeneous catalysts. Using high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we investigated the adsorption and desorption of CO on sulfur-poisoned graphene-supported palladium nanoparticles. We find that sulfur blocks CO adsorption sites, with hollow sites being most affected. From the unchanged desorption temperatures, we conclude that the Pd–CO bond strength is not altered by co-adsorbed sulfur. The degree of site blocking compared to the amount of sulfur indicates that the palladium nanoparticle surface is dominated by (111) and (100) facets.