Catalysis
Catalysis plays a central role in energy conversion, chemical manufacturing, and environmental remediation. Understanding catalytic processes at the atomic and molecular level, especially under working conditions, is essential for designing more efficient, selective, and stable catalysts. Surface analytical methods such as Near Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) and Low Energy Ion Scattering (LEIS) offer powerful insights into catalyst surfaces, the reactions, and active sites in ways that traditional techniques cannot.
NAP-XPS, offered by SPECS, enables the real-time chemical analysis of catalytic surfaces in the presence of reactive gases and at elevated pressures. This allows researchers to study catalysts under near-operando conditions, revealing dynamic changes in oxidation states, adsorbates, and reaction intermediates. From heterogeneous catalysis in energy systems to industrial processes like COâ‚‚ reduction or ammonia synthesis, NAP-XPS makes it possible to observe the surface chemistry of functional materials as reactions happen, helping to close the pressure gap between UHV studies and real-world catalytic environments.
Low Energy Ion Scattering (LEIS), offered by IONTOF, provides unique access to the elemental composition of just the outermost atomic layer of a catalyst. This ultra-surface-specific technique can be applied in order to identify the active species on supported nanoparticles, alloy surfaces, or promoter-modified materials. LEIS can precisely track how surface composition evolves during activation, reaction, or degradation, offering quantitative insight into structure–activity relationships at the true reactive interface.
Together, NAP-XPS and LEIS offer a complementary and comprehensive approach to catalytic surface analysis. These advanced tools empower scientists in academic, industrial, and energy research environments to engineer catalysts with improved performance, lower material costs, and longer operational lifetimes
