Comparing active site reactivity Noble metal nanoparticles often exhibit behaviors distinct from atomic and bulk versions of the same material. Gold and platinum dispersed on metal oxide supports, for example, show remarkable low-temperature reactivity for carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation by oxygen or water. Ding et al. used infrared spectroscopy to identify CO adsorbed on isolated platinum atoms or nanoparticles dispersed on zeolite and oxide supports. Temperature-programmed desorption studies showed that CO reacted at much lower temperatures when adsorbed on nanoparticles versus on isolated metal atoms. Science , this issue p. 189