Template growth of Au, Ni and Ni–Au nanoclusters on hexagonal boron nitride/Rh(111): a combined STM, TPD and AES study

The template growth of Au, Ni, and Ni-Au bimetallic nanoclusters on hexagonal boron nitride/Rh(111), i.e. h-BN/Rh(111), was investigated via scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), temperature programmed-desorption (TPD), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). STM study shows that template growth of Au clusters on h-BN/Rh(111) forms mainly well-dispersed monolayer clusters. In contrast, Ni forms large multilayer clusters showing a relatively high diffusivity on h-BN/Rh(111) substrate. Ni-Au bimetallic clusters are effectively formed first by Au deposition followed by Ni deposition, with the Au clusters functioning as nucleation sites for the subsequently deposited Ni. Further structural analysis was carried out via TPD and AES. The resulting TPD and AES data show the surface composition and charge transfer between Au and Ni of the bimetallic clusters. These results suggest that the h-BN/Rh(111) substrate represents a unique candidate for supporting Ni-Au bimetallic clusters in further catalytic reactions.