Industry has long used reactive metal clusters stuck to larger, inert particles as chemical catalysts. Today, developers of catalysts are making those clusters as small as possible to maximize exposed metal and thus speed up reactions.
New experiments reveal a surprise: With small clusters, the distinction between the active metal and the presumably inert carrier begins to blur, says Bruce C.
Log in
Subscribers, enter your e-mail address for full access to the Science News archives and digital editions.