What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to control and analyze cation arrangements in mixed metal oxide surfaces to optimize catalyst properties.

February 25, 2026

Tunable Surface Cation Arrangements in Ir x Ru 1– x O 2 (110) and Their Impact on Adsorbate Binding

Key Points

The aim is to control and analyze cation arrangements in mixed metal oxide surfaces to optimize catalyst properties.
Synthesize IrxRu1–xO2(110) structures by annealing IrO2/RuO2 layers in ultrahigh vacuum.
Conduct temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) to quantify cation populations in binding sites.
Utilize density functional theory (DFT) to predict binding site distributions for O-terminated surfaces.
Cation arrangements in IrxRu1–xO2(110) can be manipulated up to 800 K, leading to Ru enrichment in surface regions.
TPD findings reveal Ru prefers to occupy coordinatively unsaturated sites during heating.
DFT confirms that enhanced oxygen binding and Ir neighbor stabilization drive Ru/Ir2 motif formation.

Abstract

Advancing methods to control and characterize the local cation arrangements on mixed metal oxide surfaces can afford opportunities for designing catalysts with tunable chemical properties. Here, we show that IrxRu1–xO2(110) solid solutions with variable near-surface cation arrangements can be synthesized by annealing IrO2/RuO2 layered structures under mild oxidizing conditions in ultrahigh vacuum. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of adsorbed N2 and atomic O provides a quantitative probe of the Ir and Ru populations in coordinatively unsaturated (cus) binding sites (Mcus) and their nearest-neighbor subsurface sites (Msubcus), due to the strong, highly localized influence of these cations on N2 and O binding. The resulting Mcus/Msubcus configurations remain stable up to at least 650 K, a temperature range relevant for catalytic studies. Heating IrO2/RuO2 layered structures to ∼800 K induces rapid Ru–Ir intermixing and drives Ru enrichment in the near-surface region. TPD measurements show that Ru strongly favors incorporation into cus-sites during our heating protocol and begins to occupy subcus-sites only after the Rucus population approaches saturation. After extended heating, the surface is dominated by Rucus over Rusubcus motifs (Ru/Ru2) characteristic of pure RuO2(110), with small populations of Ru/Ir2 and Ru/IrRu. Density functional theory (DFT) predicts binding-site distributions for O-terminated surfaces that closely match those determined from TPD. DFT reveals that enhanced O binding on Rucus relative to Ircus, along with stabilization by neighboring Irsubcus atoms, drives Ir–Ru interchange to selectively form Ru/Ir2 motifs and promote Ru occupation of subcus sites after cus sites are filled. Together, these results provide insight into the synthesis and characterization of mixed IrxRu1–xO2(110) surfaces and demonstrate that controlling near-surface cation arrangements offers a promising route to tuning the chemical properties of mixed-oxide catalysts.

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