Ag growth on Mo(112)–O_a and MoO₂ surfaces

The growth of Ag clusters on preadsorbed oxygen and oxide-covered Mo(112) has been investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The objective of these experiments is the synthesis of adjacent areas on a surface with distinctly different metal–support interactions in order to investigate the relationship between the morphology of a supported metal cluster and the strength of the cluster–support interaction. The STM results show that more highly dispersed Ag clusters with a greater number density are obtained on that surface that interacts to a greater extent with the metal. Heating leads to the formation of two-dimensional–Ag nanostructures on oxygen-free Mo(112) (strong metal–support interaction) and three-dimensional cluster growth on oxide-covered Mo(112) (relatively weak metal–support interaction). © 2002 American Vacuum Society.