"Atomic-Scale Structure of Single-Layer MoS₂ Nanoclusters" S. Helveg, J. V. Lauritsen, E. Lægsgaard, I. Stensgaard, J. K. Nørskov, B. S. Clausen, H. Topsøe, and F. Besenbacher Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 951 (issue of 2 February 2000)

Description:

The chemical reactions that keep sulfur and other pollutants from leaving automobile tailpipes rely on catalysts in the form of microscopic particles dispersed within the large surface area of a porous material. But the atomic-level details of these reactions are hard to study and have never been observed directly. One of the first direct views of the catalyst that removes sulfur from gasoline and other fuels is pictured above. A Danish team managed to disperse the nanocrystals on a surface in a controlled way, and their scanning tunneling microscope (STM) images revealed surprising crystal structures unlike those of larger crystals. The technique demonstrates a new way to study catalysts at the atomic scale.
 

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