A study on the stability of gold copper bimetallic clusters on the CeO2(110) surface

The stability of AuCu, Au2Cu, AuCu2, Au2Cu2, and Au3Cu clusters on the CeO2(110) surface is related to favourable interaction between theAu Cu d-orbitals with theO p-orbitals surface. On most stable AuCu/CeO2(110) systems, two Ce(IV)-ions are reduced Ce(III)-ions however, relatively lesser triatomic AuCu2 cluster can reduce up three Ce(IV)-ions. non-interacting Au-atoms in Au2Cu/CeO2(110) Au3Cu/CeO2(110) systems found be negatively charged. We conclude that number Ce-ions tuned by altering compositions gold-copper clusters.