We present a methodology that allows us to extract quantitative information from EXAFS data collected on
complex samples where the absorbing species is present in more than one phase. We have chosen as our case
study the CuCl2/Al2O3 material, which represents the basic catalyst for the ethylene oxychlorination reaction
(a fundamental intermediate step in PVC production). In previous studies [J. Catal.
2000, 189, 91, and J.
Catal.
2000, 189, 105], it has been shown that three different copper species are present on CuCl2/Al2O3a
Cu-aluminate phase, a highly dispersed copper chloride phase, and an aggregated paratacamite (Cu2(OH)3Cl)
phase, whose relative fraction depends on copper loading, sample aging, and heating conditions. In this work,
we extract from the EXAFS spectra the fraction of the three phases on a quantitative ground. A study of the
corresponding XANES spectra allows us to qualitatively support the EXAFS results. This methodology
represents a generalization of the standard EXAFS procedure that can be of general interest in all cases
where more than one phase is present on the sample.
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