Multiple Coordination of CO on Molybdenum Nanoparticles: Evidence for Intermediate Mox(CO)ySpecies by XPS and UPS

CO chemisorption on the metallic molybdenum nanoparticles supported on the thin alumina film was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). A binary compound of molybdenum and CO is found to be formed on the surface upon CO dose, accompanied with a positive binding energy shift of the Mo 3d doublet and a localized Mo 4d valence band. A loose packing of the metallic molybdenum favors the formation of this intermediate Mox(CO)y species. The formation of the Mox(CO)y species implies that the property of the metallic molybdenum nanoparticles on the thin alumina film is much different from that of the bulk molybdenum, indicating a significant nanometer size effect.