X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and Raman scattering are commonly used for studies of crystal and electronic structure of materials. All three techniques have their strong points and limitations but by combining them into one experimental set-up it is possible to exploit their complementarities. The biggest advantage of such a multi-technique approach lies in the observation of dynamic processes. This is where (quasi-)simultaneous data acquisition with different techniques ensures a perfect correlation between these measurements. As a result, one obtains information about the materials structure, which goes beyond the sum obtained by individual experimental methods. The success of the multiple technique approach depends strongly on the rigorous optimisation of all related experimental details. In this article, we describe some of these crucial methodological solutions implemented at Swiss-Norwegian beamline.

In this short review, we describe the complementary experimental capabilities for catalysis research at two beam lines available to the Swiss community, SuperXAS at SLS (Swiss Light Source, Villigen) and SNBL (Swiss Norwegian Beam lines) at ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble). Over the years, these two facilities have been developed to provide powerful techniques for structural studies under in situ and operando conditions. These techniques, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) in combination with Raman or infrared spectroscopy provide new avenues for structure-performance studies of catalysts. Several exemplary studies are used to demonstrate the capability of these facilities.

Understanding the physicochemical origin of functional materials generally requires multifaceted information on their material characteristics, which are investigated by various analytical methods. In this respect, a simultaneous multiprobe approach to studying materials by complementary methods is of great value, particularly following dynamically varying processes, such as chemical and structural transformations under reactive environments. Herein, we report facile and versatile approaches to combining synchrotron X-ray absorption spectro- [a] 1848 the mobile IR spectrometer system (Arcoptix S. A., OEM model) allows flexible positioning and sensitive signal detection.

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