Crown Jewel catalyst: How neighboring atoms affect the catalytic activity of top Au atoms?

1. The catalytic activity for glucose oxidation of the top Au atoms decorating the Pd NCs was 20-30 times more active than the Au NCs with a size of 1.4-nm diameter. 2. The highest catalytic activity of the top Au atoms could be associated with its high negative charge and its unique structure. 3. The activity as well as the electronegativity of top Au atoms might decrease with the increasing number of the neighboring coordinated Au atoms.233