Understanding the interaction between surfaces and their surroundings is crucial in many materials-science fields, such as catalysis, corrosion, and thin-film electronics, but existing characterization methods have not been capable of fully determining the structure of surfaces during dynamic processes, such as catalytic reactions, in a reasonable time frame. We demonstrate an x-ray-diffraction-based characterization method that uses high-energy photons (85 kiloelectron volts) to provide unexpected gains in data acquisition speed by several orders of magnitude and enables structural determinations of surfaces on time scales suitable for in situ studies. We illustrate the potential of high-energy surface x-ray diffraction by determining the structure of a palladium surface in situ during catalytic carbon monoxide oxidation and follow dynamic restructuring of the surface with subsecond time resolution.

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We present a new high-pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy system dedicated to probing catalytic reactions under realistic conditions at pressures of multiple bars. The instrument builds around the novel concept of a "virtual cell" in which a gas flow onto the sample surface creates a localized high-pressure pillow. This allows the instrument to be operated with a low pressure of a few millibar in the main chamber, while simultaneously a local pressure exceeding 1 bar can be supplied at the sample surface. Synchrotron based hard x-ray excitation is used to increase the electron mean free path in the gas region between sample and analyzer while grazing incidence <5 ○ close to total external refection conditions enhances surface sensitivity. The aperture separating the high-pressure region from the differential pumping of the electron spectrometer consists of multiple, evenly spaced, micrometer sized holes matching the footprint of the x-ray beam on the sample. The resulting signal is highly dependent on the sample-to-aperture distance because photoemitted electrons are subject to strong scattering in the gas phase. Therefore, high precision control of the sample-to-aperture distance is crucial. A fully integrated manipulator allows for sample movement with step sizes of 10 nm between 0 and −5 mm with very low vibrational amplitude and also for sample heating up to 500 ○ C under reaction conditions. We demonstrate the performance of this novel instrument with bulk 2p spectra of a copper single crystal at He pressures of up to 2.5 bars and C1s spectra measured in gas mixtures of CO + H 2 at pressures of up to 790 mbar. The capability to detect emitted photoelectrons at several bars opens the prospect for studies of catalytic reactions under industrially relevant operando conditions.Published under license by AIP Publishing. https://doi. ARTICLEscitation.org/journal/rsi FIG. 13. Mass spectrometry signal of m/z corresponding to CO (red), O 2 (blue), and CO 2 (black) and left axis. The single crystal temperature (dashed black and right axis) was ramped at a rate of 2.5 ○ C/s.

Catalytic CO oxidation is a seemingly simple reaction between CO and O2 molecules, one of the reactions in automotive catalytic converters, and the fruit-fly reaction in model catalysis. Surprisingly, the phase responsible for the catalytic activity is still under debate, despite decades of investigations. We have performed a simple but yet conclusive study of single crystal Rh and Pd model catalysts, resolving this controversy. For Rh, the oxygen-covered metallic surface is more active than the oxide, while for Pd, thin oxide films are at least as active as the metallic surface, but a thicker oxide is less active. Apart from resolving a long-standing debate, our results pinpoint important design principles for oxidation catalysts as to prevent catalytic extinction at high oxygen exposures.

The active chemical state of zinc (Zn) in a zinc-copper (Zn-Cu) catalyst during carbon dioxide/carbon monoxide (CO 2 /CO) hydrogenation has been debated to be Zn oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, metallic Zn, or a Zn-Cu surface alloy. We used x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at 180 to 500 millibar to probe the nature of Zn and reaction intermediates during CO 2 /CO hydrogenation over Zn/ZnO/Cu(211), where the temperature is sufficiently high for the reaction to rapidly turn over, thus creating an almost adsorbate-free surface. Tuning of the grazing incidence angle makes it possible to achieve either surface or bulk sensitivity. Hydrogenation of CO 2 gives preference to ZnO in the form of clusters or nanoparticles, whereas in pure CO a surface Zn-Cu alloy becomes more prominent. The results reveal a specific role of CO in the formation of the Zn-Cu surface alloy as an active phase that facilitates efficient CO 2 methanol synthesis.

Efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts are pivotal for sustainable fuel production, where the Ni-Fe oxyhydroxide (OOH) is among the most active catalysts for alkaline OER. Electrolyte alkali metal cations have been shown to modify the activity and reaction intermediates, however, the exact mechanism is at question due to unexplained deviations from the cation size trend. Our X-ray absorption spectroelectrochemical results show that bigger cations shift the Ni2+/(3+δ)+ redox peak and OER activity to lower potentials (however, with typical discrepancies), following the order CsOH > NaOH ≈ KOH > RbOH > LiOH. Here, we find that the OER activity follows the variations in electrolyte pH rather than a specific cation, which accounts for differences both in basicity of the alkali hydroxides and other contributing anomalies. Our density functional theory-derived reactivity descriptors confirm that cations impose negligible effect on the Lewis acidity of Ni, Fe, and O lattice sites, thus strengthening the conclusions of an indirect pH effect.

CO reduction reactions, which provide one route to limit the emission of this greenhouse gas, are commonly performed over Cu-based catalysts. Here, we use ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy together with density functional theory to obtain an atomistic understanding of the dissociative adsorption of CO on Cu(100). We find that the process is dominated by the presence of steps, which promote both a lowering of the dissociation barrier and an efficient separation between adsorbed O and CO, reducing the probability for recombination. The identification of steps as sites for efficient CO dissociation provides an understanding that can be used in the design of future CO reduction catalysts.

In situ high-energy surface X-ray diffraction was employed to determine the surface structure dynamics of a Pd(100) single crystal surface acting as a model catalyst to promote CO oxidation. The measurements were performed under semirealistic conditions, i.e., 100 mbar total gas pressure and 600 K sample temperature. The surface structure was studied in detail both in a steady gas flow and in a gradually changing gas composition with a time resolution of 0.5 s. The experimental technique allows for rapid reciprocal space mapping providing the complete information on structural changes of a surface with unprecedented time resolution in harsh conditions. Our results show that the (√5 × √5)R27°-PdO(101) surface oxide forms in a close to stoichiometric O 2 and CO gas mixture as the mass spectrometry indicates a transition to a highly active state with the reaction rate limited by the CO mass transfer to the Pd(100) surface. Using a low excess of O 2 in the gas stoichiometry, islands of bulk oxide grow epitaxially in the same (101) crystallographic orientation of the bulk PdO unit cell according to a Stranski−Krastanov type of growth. The morphology of the islands is analyzed quantitatively. Upon further increase of the O 2 partial pressure a polycrystalline Pd oxide forms on the surface. ■ INTRODUCTIONFor more than a century heterogeneous catalysis has been extensively exploited by the industry, and as a consequence it has been intensively studied. 1 One of the most prominent examples is the CO oxidation reaction, CO + 1 / 2 O 2 → CO 2 . This process transforms highly toxic carbon monoxide, formed e.g. as a byproduct during incomplete combustion of the fuel in internal combustion engines, to less harmful carbon dioxide gas. However, the reaction is very slow under the operational conditions in the gas phase and requires thus the presence of a solid catalysts to proceed at a sufficiently high rate. Because of its importance and relatively simple mechanism, this reaction has become the subject of numerous studies aiming to resolve the atomic-scale processes that occur on the surface of catalysts. 2 Supported nanoparticles of late transition metals represent a well-known and efficient type of oxidation catalyst and are currently widely used in catalytic converters. 3,4 Hence, a deep understanding of the fundamental processes proceeding in such systems is important for improvement of existing catalyst-based solutions and development of new potential approaches. For this purpose, studies of atomic-scale surface structure and determination of the active phase of catalysts under working conditions are essential. However, the complexity of such systems and the inability of many experimental techniques to work under realistic pressuresthe challenges known as material and pressure gapssignificantly narrow the selection of available methods for structural determination and necessitate the use of model systems. One of the commonly used approaches is to study single crystals with different surface crystallographic orientation...