Effects of the support on the morphology and electronic properties of supported metal clusters: modern concepts and progress in 1990s

Modern trends in studying the influence of the support on the electronic state, morphology, and catalytic properties of supported metal particles are reviewed. The analysis of new developments in techniques for catalyst characterization is given. Metal–support interaction effects are discussed in terms of electronic modification of the supported clusters and their morphological transformations induced by the support. Special attention is paid to the recent concepts of the structure of the metal–support interface. The support effects on the catalytic properties of metal particles are revealed as (1) changes due to metal particle charging, (2) effects related to variations in metal particle shape and crystallographic structure and, (3) appearance of the specific active sites at the metal–support boundary.