Infrared surface spectroscopy and surface optical reflectance for operando catalyst surface characterization

• Using a new sample environment, the two operando surface diagnostic techniques two-dimensional surface optical reflection (2D-SOR) and polarization-modulated infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) have been combined with mass spectrometry (MS) to characterize a catalytic reaction. With both techniques integrated in a custom-built setup, we can correlate molecular information of the adsorbed surface species from PM-IRRAS with information about oxide formation on the sample from 2D-SOR. The new setup was evaluated by performing CO oxidation over a Palladium single crystal Pd(1 0 0) surface. The results reveal that the macroscopic and the microscopic molecular behavior correlate well. When the CO adsorption peak disappears in the PM-IRRAS spectrum, the formation of a well-defined ultra-thin surface oxide is observed in the 2D-SOR trend. We discuss the benefits and limitations of the two techniques as well as their potential for further studies of catalytic reactions at both gas–solid and liquid–solid interfaces.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Atom- och molekylfysik och optik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

CO oxidation

Heterogeneous catalysis

Operando techniques

Pd(1 0 0)

PM-IRRAS

Surface optical reflectance (2D-SOR)

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)