In-situ scanning transmission X-ray microscopy of catalytic materials under reaction conditions

In-situ Scanning X-ray Transmission Microscopy (STXM) allows the measurement of the soft X-ray absorption spectra with 10 to 30 nm spatial resolution under realistic reaction conditions. We show that STXM-XAS in combination with a micromachined nanoreactor can image a catalytic system under relevant reaction conditions, and provide detailed information on the morphology and composition of the catalyst material. The nanometer resolution combined with powerful chemical speciation by XAS and the ability to image materials under realistic conditions opens up new opportunities to study many chemical processes.