TEM study of Pt nanoparticles on gamma Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$/NiAl support*

Pt gamma Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$ as one of the most important catalysts has attracted much attention in research. Moving beyond the current phenomenological understanding of the nanoparticle support interaction necessitates the examination of the Pt/ $\gamma $-Al2O3 interface at the atomic level. To produce the model interface, NiAl(110) single crystal was oxidized at 1223K in order to fabricate gamma Al$_{2}$O$_{3 }$(440). The crystallinity and uniformity of the oxide film was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Nanometer sized Pt particles were deposited through vapor deposition method onto the film. Cross sectional TEM samples were prepared using a Focused Ion Beam (FIB). The Pt gamma Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$ interface will be examined by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods to elucidate the atomic, defect and electronic structure of the interface.