A dedicated photoelectron spectroscopy instrument for studies of catalytic reactions at pressures exceeding 1 bar

• Here, we present a new high-pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy system dedicated to probing catalytic reactions under realistic conditions at pressures exceeding 1 bar. The instrument builds around the concept of a “virtual cell” in which a gasflow is directed onto the sample surface creating a local high pressure on top of the sample. This allows the instrument to maintain a low pressure of a few mbars in the main chamber, while simultaneously keeping a local pressure of around 1 bar. Synchrotron radiation based grazing incidence photoemission within ± 5° is used to enhance the surface sensitivity in the experiment. The aperture, separating the high-pressure region from the differential pumping of the electron spectrometer, consists of multiple, evenly spaced, mm sized holes matching the footprint of the x-ray beam on the sample surface. As the photo-emitted electrons are subject to strong scattering in the gas phase and the resulting signal is therefore highly dependent on the sample to aperture distance, the latter is controlled with high precision using a fully integrated manipulator that allows for sample movement with step sizes of 10 nm between 0 and –5 mm with very low vibrational amplitude. The instrumental features allows acquisition of metallic bulk spectra at He pressures up to 2.5 bar and also allows for following C1s spectra under realistic gas mixtures of CO + H2with various temperatures up to 500°C. This capability opens for studies of catalytic reactions in operandi.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Annan fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Other Physics Topics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

kemisk fysik

Chemical Physics

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

ovr (subject category)