In this study, scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) is used in conjunction with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to monitor the surfaces of platinum single crystals and model graphite- supported platinum catalysts following a variety of treatments, including use of the samples as catalysts for cyclohexene aromatization. Several crystal planes are studied, including some with low and some with high Miller indices. Single-crystal studies are compared with model catalyst studies to ascertain which features of the STM scans are relevant to catalytic performance. This is essentially a baseline study to establish reliability guidelines for application of STM in catalysis research. In principle, this relatively new technique has great potential to reveal surface features in reacting systems heretofore impossible to detect.
