Synchronous in situ time-resolved XAFS, infra red, and mass spectrometric approach to heterogeneous catalysis

10-08-2004

Simultaneous interrogation of working catalysts using time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAFS), diffuse reflectance infra red spectroscopy (DRIFTS), and mass spectrometry (MS), has been developed at the University of Southampton and tested on beamline ID24. This in situ combination of time-resolved XAFS and complementary techniques, permits a unique insight into the behaviour of working catalysts.

a) Rh K XAFS spectra from a 5wt%Rh/Al2O3
catalyst heated under a CO/NO/He feedstock; b) DRIFTS spectra obtained
synchronously with the XAFS

Figure 1: a) Rh K XAFS spectra from a 5wt%Rh/Al₂O₃ catalyst heated under a CO/NO/He feedstock; b) DRIFTS spectra obtained synchronously with the XAFS.

From data such as these the relationship between the structure of the active catalyst phase, the surface functionality it supports, and the catalytic performance this leads to, may be studied on a time scale of tens of milliseconds. Quantitative structure function relationships, and mechanistic details, may then be deduced.

Principal Publication and Authors
M.A. Newton (a), B. Jyoti (a), A.J. Dent (b), S.G. Fiddy (c), and J. Evans (a,b), Chem. Commun., 2382-2383 (2004).
(a) University of Southampton (UK)
(a) Diamond Light Source (UK)
(c) ESRF (France)

partners

European Synchrotron Radiation Facility - 71, avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.