Electrode Surfaces, Palladium: Molecular Adsorption

Studies of the surface chemical properties of palladium electrodes, based on a combination of electrochemistry, scanning tunneling microscopy, and ultrahigh-vacuum surface spectroscopy, have uncovered remarkable rich chemistry at the interface of this metal. Such chemistry probably has its origins in the inordinately weak palladium–palladium intermetallic bond, an occurrence that is expected to facilitate surface mobilities and promote the scission of substrate–substrate bonds and/or the formation of substrate–adsorbate bonds. The present entry is a showcase of selected studies that serve to advance the knowledge base on the electrode-surface organometallic and coordination chemistry of palladium.