Facets Engineering on Catalysts

This chapter focuses on faceted single crystals of metals and semiconductors in heterogeneous catalysis. Metal catalysts are mainly used in thermal catalysis and electrocatalysis, such as producing chemicals, petroleum refining, and in fuel cells. The chapter introduces the mechanisms of facets engineering, the anisotropic properties of crystal facets, and the effects of facets engineering on the properties of the crystal. The faceted nanocrystals, whether metals or semiconductors, can be achieved through many synthesis methods, including solution-phase, vapor-phase, and solid-phase methods. The properties of crystal surface differ from the ones inside crystal bulk, due to the termination of the periodic arrangement of the atoms. Anisotropic electrical properties of surfaces are logically attributed to the anisotropy of the crystal lattice. Combining anisotropic surface properties could dramatically alter the properties of the crystal, especially when the particle size is reduced to the nanoscale and the ratio of surface atoms/bulk atoms is no longer negligible.