Operando 3D imaging of defects dynamics of twinned-nanocrystal during catalysis

UsingoperandoBragg coherent x-ray diffraction imaging, we visualised three-dimensionally a single twinned-gold nanocrystal during the CO oxidation reaction. We describe the defect dynamics process occurring under operating conditions and indicate the correlation between the nucleation of highly strained regions at the surface of the nanocrystal and its catalytic activity. Understanding the twinning deformation mechanism sheds light on the creation of active sites, and could well contribute to the understanding of the catalytic behaviour of other catalysts. With the start-up of 4th generation synchrotron sources, we anticipate that coherent hard x-ray diffraction imaging techniques will play a major role in imagingin situchemical processes.