Intermetallic compounds as models for materials formed at the Metal Crystallite-Oxide Support Interface.

This paper discusses transition metal intermetallic compounds, in the context of the reactivity and physical properties expected for materials produced via solid-solid reactions at the metal catalyst oxide-support interface. It is shown that several observable and proposed features of the so called Strong Metal- Support Interaction (SMSI) - chemisorption activity, phase segregation, and encapsulation - follow naturally from the chemistry of these materials. Both literature precedent and experimental data are presented to support the close relationship suggested above.