ABSTRACT
Recent investigations on the surface electrochemical properties of poly crystalline and single-crystal Pd electrodes have uncovered unique phenomena that serve to further establish the remarkably rich inter facial chemistry of this metal. Such chemistry may have its origins in the anomalously weak intermetallic palladium–palladium bond, a circumstance that is expected not only to enhance lateral surface mobilities but also to facilitate the disruption of substrate-substrate bonds and/or the formation of substrate–adsorbate bonds. The present chapter is intended to showcase studies that help advance the knowledge base on the interfacial electrochemistry of palladium. The discussion is centered on three interrelated subjects: electrode-surface coordination/ organometallic chemistry, adsorbate-activated electron-transfer sites, and adsorbate-induced substrate reactions. The methodology adopted in these studies rests on a combination of electrochemistry, in situ scanning tunneling microscopy, and ultrahigh vacuum surface spectroscopy.
