Delta-mu XANES reveals the electronic structure of the adsorption of propene on gold nanoparticles

Abstract

Experimental delta-mu spectra for the H oxidated and the propene co-fed Au nanoparticles were reproduced with XANES simulations with FEFF9. The results support that the propene has pi back-bonding to the Au with binding at defects or steps or in very small nanoparticles. Cationic, or even better, the neutrally charged Au nanoparticles, reproduce the experimental results of the propene co-fed catalyst found in the literature.