Nucleation kinetics of heterogeneous catalyst: Pd/thin layer of MgO (100)

Abstract

The kinetics describing the formation of the system Pd/thin layer of MgO (100) surface was investigated by applying programs developed on the basis of Fortran Software. The simulation is based on studies related to nucleation, crystallite growth, coalescence and diffusion of clusters on the surface of thin films. The density of Pd islands is obtained by simulating the deposition of 1 × 10¹³ atoms cm^–2 s^–1 in 150 s. The density of clusters first increases to reach a plateau. Then, it either remains some time at a nearly constant value or decreases slowly after the saturation regime gives way to the coalescence stage. This phenomenon is explained via island migration process at the surface. The coalescence time strongly depends on the deposition temperature, the coalescence occurs when the substrate temperature is high. Also, the surface coverage decreases when the substrate temperature increases. The coalescence is pronounced at a low surface coverage. It involves the migration on the surface, defined as the dynamic coalescence and precedes the process of the formation of immobile islands that predominates at high extents of surface coverage.