Heterogeneous Catalysis

Investigation of Heterogeneous Catalysis on Nanoparticles

Project leading scientist: Judit Oliver-Meseguer. Other members involved: Angeles Lopez Martin.

We study the reactivity of metal nanoparticle catalysts of varying size, shape, and composition (synthesized by Judit) under relevant conditions of pressure and temperature. We follow changes in the electronic, chemical, and physical structure of the particles as they are exposed to reactive gases using ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Advanced Light Source (ALS), the Berkeley Lab synchrotron. Typically these x-ray techniques require ultra high vacuum environments, but our group has developed unique tools for performing experiments near atmospheric pressures. Therefore, we can study the catalyst reactivity in situ, under realistic conditions. We are also in collaboration with Prof. Omar Yaghi's group and Prof. Alexis Bell's group for the XPS analysis of their samples

Related publications:

Tuxen, A.; Carenco, S.; Chintapalli, M.; Chuang, C.-H.; Escudero, C.; Pach, E.; Jiang, P.; Borondics, F.; Beberwyck, B.; Alivisatos, A. P.; Thornton, G.; Pong, W.-F.; Guo, J.; Perez, R.; Besenbacher, F.; M. Salmeron, M.

Size-dependent Dissociation of Carbon Monoxide on Cobalt Nanoparticles

J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2013 135 2273-2278. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja3105889

Carenco, S.; Tuxen, A.; Chintapalli, M.; Pach, E.; Escudero, C.; Ewers, T. D.; Jiang, P.; Borondics, F.; Thornton, G.; Alivisatos, A. P.; Bluhm, H.; Guo, J.; Salmeron, M.

De-alloying of Cobalt from CuCo Nanoparticles under Syngas Exposure

J. Phys. Chem. C, 2013 117 6259-6266 http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp4000297

Escudero, C.; Jiang, P.; Pach, E.; Borondics, F.; West, M. W.; Tuxen, A.; Chintapalli, M.; Carenco, S.; Guo, J.; Salmeron, M.

A reaction cell with sample laser heating for in situ soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies under environmental conditions.

J. Synchrotron. Rad., 2013 20 504-508. http://dx.doi.org/10.1107/S0909049513002434