Effect of multifractalities of catalyst surface: a Monte Carlo study of catalytic CO oxidation

For modeling disordered catalyst surfaces, we propose a method for generating multifractal surfaces with varying fractal dimensionality profiles. For three surfaces generated by the method, Monte Carlo simulations of catalytic CO oxidation are carried out to investigate the effect of morphology of the catalyst surface on its catalytic activity and kinetic phase transitions. The results show that multifractal surfaces with the more symmetric and less dispersive fractal dimensionality profile perform CO oxidation more efficiently. The first-order kinetic phase transition occurs at the higher partial pressure of CO for the surface with the less dispersive dimensionality profile. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.