HERFD XAS/ATR-FTIR batch reactor cell.

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Materials Science
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• In situ characterization is crucial for understanding catalytic mechanisms.
• Simultaneous measurements of electronic structure and reaction species are challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a versatile operando cell for combined HERFD XAS and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy.
• To enable simultaneous monitoring of catalyst structure and reaction dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Modification of an autoclave reactor for dual spectroscopy.
• High energy resolution fluorescence detected X-ray absorption spectroscopy (HERFD XAS).
• Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• The developed cell allows simultaneous HERFD XAS and ATR-FTIR measurements without reactor redesign.
• Demonstrated catalyst precursor reduction in different solvents.
• Identified Au(0) as the primary species during nitrobenzene hydrogenation over Au/CeO(2).

Conclusions:

• The combined operando spectroscopy technique provides a powerful tool for in situ catalyst studies.
• This method facilitates the correlation of catalyst structural evolution with reaction performance.
• The system is applicable to various liquid-phase catalytic reactions.