HIPPIE: a new platform for ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at the MAX IV Laboratory.

HIPPIE is a soft X-ray beamline on the 3 GeV electron storage ring of the MAX IV Laboratory, equipped with a novel ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) instrument. The endstation is dedicated to performing in situ and operando X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments in the presence of a controlled gaseous atmosphere at pressures up to 30 mbar [1 mbar = 100 Pa] as well as under ultra-high-vacuum conditions. The photon energy range is 250 to 2200 eV in planar polarization and with photon fluxes >1012 photons s-1 (500 mA ring current) at a resolving power of greater than 10000 and up to a maximum of 32000. The endstation currently provides two sample environments: a catalysis cell and an electrochemical/liquid cell. The former allows APXPS measurements of solid samples in the presence of a gaseous atmosphere (with a mixture of up to eight gases and a vapour of a liquid) and simultaneous analysis of the inlet/outlet gas composition by online mass spectrometry. The latter is a more versatile setup primarily designed for APXPS at the solid-liquid (dip-and-pull setup) or liquid-gas (liquid microjet) interfaces under full electrochemical control, and it can also be used as an open port for ad hoc-designed non-standard APXPS experiments with different sample environments. The catalysis cell can be further equipped with an IR reflection-absorption spectrometer, allowing for simultaneous APXPS and IR spectroscopy of the samples. The endstation is set up to easily accommodate further sample environments.

Structure of two-dimensional Fe3O4.

We have investigated the structure of an ultrathin iron oxide phase grown on Ag(100) using surface x-ray diffraction in combination with Hubbard-corrected density functional theory (DFT+U) calculations. The film exhibits a novel structure composed of one close-packed layer of octahedrally coordinated Fe2+ sandwiched between two close-packed layers of tetrahedrally coordinated Fe3+ and an overall stoichiometry of Fe3O4. As the structure is distinct from bulk iron oxide phases and the coupling with the silver substrate is weak, we propose that the phase should be classified as a metastable two-dimensional oxide. The chemical and physical properties are potentially interesting, thanks to the predicted charge ordering between atomic layers, and analogy with bulk ferrite spinels suggests the possibility of synthesis of a whole class of two-dimensional ternary oxides with varying electronic, optical, and chemical properties.

Catalytic Oxidation of CO on a Curved Pt(111) Surface: Simultaneous Ignition at All Facets through a Transient CO-O Complex*.

The catalytic oxidation of CO on transition metals, such as Pt, is commonly viewed as a sharp transition from the CO-inhibited surface to the active metal, covered with O. However, we find that minor amounts of O are present in the CO-poisoned layer that explain why, surprisingly, CO desorbs at stepped and flat Pt crystal planes at once, regardless of the reaction conditions. Using near-ambient pressure X-ray photoemission and a curved Pt(111) crystal we probe the chemical composition at surfaces with variable step density during the CO oxidation reaction. Analysis of C and O core levels across the curved crystal reveals that, right before light-off, subsurface O builds up within (111) terraces. This is key to trigger the simultaneous ignition of the catalytic reaction at different Pt surfaces: a CO-Pt-O complex is formed that equals the CO chemisorption energy at terraces and steps, leading to the abrupt desorption of poisoning CO from all crystal facets at the same temperature.

Steps Control the Dissociation of CO2 on Cu(100).

CO2 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 CO2 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 CO2 dissociation provides an understanding that can be used in the design of future CO2 reduction catalysts.

Catalytic Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide on a Curved Pd Crystal: Spatial Variation of Active and Poisoning Phases in Stationary Conditions.

Understanding nanoparticle catalysis requires novel approaches in which adjoining crystal orientations can be studied under the same reactive conditions. Here we use a curved palladium crystal and near-ambient pressure X-ray photoemission spectroscopy to characterize chemical species during the catalytic oxidation of CO in a whole set of surfaces vicinal to the (111) direction simultaneously. By stabilizing the reaction at fixed temperatures around the ignition point, we observe a strong variation of the catalytic activity across the curved surface. Such spatial modulation of the reaction stage is straightforwardly mapped through the photoemission signal from active oxygen species and poisoning CO, which are shown to coexist in a transient regime that depends on the vicinal angle. Line-shape analysis and direct comparison with ultrahigh vacuum experiments help identifying and quantifying all such surface species, allowing us to reveal the presence of surface oxides during reaction ignition and cooling-off.

Combining synchrotron light with laser technology in catalysis research.

High-energy surface X-ray diffraction (HESXRD) provides surface structural information with high temporal resolution, facilitating the understanding of the surface dynamics and structure of the active phase of catalytic surfaces. The surface structure detected during the reaction is sensitive to the composition of the gas phase close to the catalyst surface, and the catalytic activity of the sample itself may affect the surface structure, which in turn may complicate the assignment of the active phase. For this reason, planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) and HESXRD have been combined during the oxidation of CO over a Pd(100) crystal. PLIF complements the structural studies with an instantaneous two-dimensional image of the CO2 gas phase in the vicinity of the active model catalyst. Here the combined HESXRD and PLIF operando measurements of CO oxidation over Pd(100) are presented, allowing for an improved assignment of the correlation between sample structure and the CO2 distribution above the sample surface with sub-second time resolution.

Novel in Situ Techniques for Studies of Model Catalysts.

Motivated mainly by catalysis, gas-surface interaction between single crystal surfaces and molecules has been studied for decades. Most of these studies have been performed in well-controlled environments and have been instrumental for the present day understanding of catalysis, providing information on surface structures, adsorption sites, and adsorption and desorption energies relevant for catalysis. However, the approach has been criticized for being too far from a catalyst operating under industrial conditions at high temperatures and pressures. To this end, a significant amount of effort over the years has been used to develop methods to investigate catalysts at more realistic conditions under operating conditions. One result from this effort is a vivid and sometimes heated discussion concerning the active phase for the seemingly simple CO oxidation reaction over the Pt-group metals in the literature. In recent years, we have explored the possibilities to perform experiments at conditions closer to those of a technical catalyst, in particular at increased pressures and temperatures. In this contribution, results from catalytic CO oxidation over a Pd(100) single crystal surface using Near Ambient Pressure X-ray Photo emission Spectroscopy (NAPXPS), Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF), and High Energy Surface X-ray Diffraction (HESXRD) are presented, and the strengths and weaknesses of the experimental techniques are discussed. Armed with structural knowledge from ultrahigh vacuum experiments, the presence of adsorbed molecules and gas-phase induced surface structures can be identified and related to changes in the reactivity or to reaction induced gas-flow limitations. In particular, the application of PLIF to catalysis allows one to visualize how the catalyst itself changes the gas composition close to the model catalyst surface upon ignition, and relate this to the observed surface structures. The effect obscures a straightforward relation between the active phase and the activity, since in the case of CO oxidation, the gas-phase close to the model catalyst surface is shown to be significantly more oxidizing than far away from the catalyst. We show that surface structural knowledge from UHV experiments and the composition of the gas phase close to the catalyst surface are crucial to understand structure-function relationships at semirealistic conditions. In the particular case of Pd, we argue that the surface structure of the PdO(101) has a significant influence on the activity, due to the presence of Coordinatively Unsaturated Sites (CUS) Pd atoms, similar to undercoordinated Ru and Ir atoms found for RuO2(110) and IrO2(110), respectively.

Thermal reduction of ceria nanostructures on rhodium(111) and re-oxidation by CO2.

The thermal reduction of cerium oxide nanostructures deposited on a rhodium(111) single crystal surface and the re-oxidation of the structures by exposure to CO2 were investigated. Two samples are compared: a rhodium surface covered to ≈60% by one to two O-Ce-O trilayer high islands and a surface covered to ≈65% by islands of four O-Ce-O trilayer thickness. Two main results stand out: (1) the thin islands reduce at a lower temperature (870-890 K) and very close to Ce2O3, while the thicker islands need higher temperature for reduction and only reduce to about CeO1.63 at a maximum temperature of 920 K. (2) Ceria is re-oxidized by CO2. The rhodium surface promotes the re-oxidation by splitting the CO2 and thus providing atomic oxygen. The process shows a clear temperature dependence. The maximum oxidation state of the oxide reached by re-oxidation with CO2 differs for the two samples, showing that the thinner structures require a higher temperature for re-oxidation with CO2. Adsorbed carbon species, potentially blocking reactive sites, desorb from both samples at the same temperature and cannot be the sole origin for the observed differences. Instead, an intrinsic property of the differently sized CeOx islands must be at the origin of the observed temperature dependence of the re-oxidation by CO2.

Structure of the SnO_{2}(110)-(4×1) Surface.

Using surface x-ray diffraction (SXRD), quantitative low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), and density-functional theory (DFT) calculations, we have determined the structure of the (4×1) reconstruction formed by sputtering and annealing of the SnO_{2}(110) surface. We find that the reconstruction consists of an ordered arrangement of Sn_{3}O_{3} clusters bound atop the bulk-terminated SnO_{2}(110) surface. The model was found by application of a DFT-based evolutionary algorithm with surface compositions based on SXRD, and shows excellent agreement with LEED and with previously published scanning tunneling microscopy measurements. The model proposed previously consisting of in-plane oxygen vacancies is thus shown to be incorrect, and our result suggests instead that Sn(II) species in interstitial positions are the more relevant features of reduced SnO_{2}(110) surfaces.

Step dynamics and oxide formation during CO oxidation over a vicinal Pd surface.

In an attempt to bridge the material and pressure gaps - two major challenges for an atomic scale understanding of heterogeneous catalysis - we employed high-energy surface X-ray diffraction as a tool to study the Pd(553) surface in situ under changing reaction conditions during CO oxidation. The diffraction patterns recorded under CO rich reaction conditions are characteristic for the metallic state of the surface. In an environment with low excess of O2 over the reaction stoichiometry, the surface seems to accommodate oxygen atoms along the steps forming one or several subsequent adsorbate structures and rapidly transforms into a combination of (332), (111) and (331) facets likely providing the room for the formation of a surface oxide. For the case of large excess of O2, the diffraction data show the presence of a multilayer PdO with the [101] crystallographic direction parallel to the [111] and the [331] directions of the substrate. The reconstructions in O2 excess are to a large extent similar to those previously reported for pure O2 exposures by Westerström et al. [R. Westerström et al., Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter Mater. Phys., 2007, 76, 155410].

The structure-function relationship for alumina supported platinum during the formation of ammonia from nitrogen oxide and hydrogen in the presence of oxygen.

We study the structure-function relationship of alumina supported platinum during the formation of ammonia from nitrogen oxide and dihydrogen by employing in situ X-ray absorption and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Particular focus has been directed towards the effect of oxygen on the reaction as a model system for emerging technologies for passive selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides. The suppressed formation of ammonia observed as the feed becomes net-oxidizing is accompanied by a considerable increase in the oxidation state of platinum as well as the formation of surface nitrates and the loss of NH-containing surface species. In the presence of (excess) oxygen, the ammonia formation is proposed to be limited by weak interaction between nitrogen oxide and the oxidized platinum surface. This leads to a slow dissociation rate of nitrogen oxide and thus low abundance of the atomic nitrogen surface species that can react with the adsorbed hydrogen species. In this case the consumption of hydrogen through the competing water formation reaction and decomposition/oxidation of ammonia are of less importance for the net ammonia formation.

Tuning the Reactivity of Ultrathin Oxides: NO Adsorption on Monolayer FeO(111).

Ultrathin metal oxides exhibit unique chemical properties and show promise for applications in heterogeneous catalysis. Monolayer FeO films supported on metal surfaces show large differences in reactivity depending on the metal substrate, potentially enabling tuning of the catalytic properties of these materials. Nitric oxide (NO) adsorption is facile on silver-supported FeO, whereas a similar film grown on platinum is inert to NO under similar conditions. Ab initio calculations link this substrate-dependent behavior to steric hindrance caused by substrate-induced rumpling of the FeO surface, which is stronger for the platinum-supported film. Calculations show that the size of the activation barrier to adsorption caused by the rumpling is dictated by the strength of the metal-oxide interaction, offering a straightforward method for tailoring the adsorption properties of ultrathin films.

Reactivity and mass transfer of low-dimensional catalysts.

Understanding the mechanisms governing chemical and morphological changes induced by an ambient-pressure gas and how such changes influence the activity of heterogeneous catalysts is central to the formation of a predictive capability for structure-reactivity relationships. With techniques such as ambient-pressure photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and surface X-ray diffraction, active phases and reaction intermediates can be probed in situ on relevant samples to form a comprehensive picture of this dynamic interplay between gases and surfaces. Of particular interest is the interaction of oxygen and carbon monoxide with catalysts. We will describe how model systems of increased complexity can be used to investigate gas-mediated mass transfer processes that may occur even at relatively modest temperatures. Furthermore, we will discuss how the morphology may be tailored to study specific contributions from defect sites and charge transfer to catalytic activity.

Temperature-Dependent Selectivity and Detection of Hidden Carbon Deposition in Methane Oxidation.

Reaction products in heterogeneous catalysis can be detected either on the catalyst surface or in the gas phase after desorption. However, if atoms are dissolved in the catalyst bulk, then reaction channels can become hidden. This is the case if the dissolution rate of the deposits is faster than their formation rate. This might lead to the underestimation or even overlooking of reaction channels such as, e.g., carbon deposition during hydrocarbon oxidation reactions, which is problematic as carbon can have a significant influence on the catalytic activity. Here, we demonstrate how such hidden deposition channels can be uncovered by carefully measuring the product formation rates in the local gas phase just above the catalyst surface with time-resolved ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. As a case study, we investigate methane oxidation on a polycrystalline Pd catalyst in an oxygen-lean environment at a few millibar pressure. By ramping the temperature between 350 and 525 °C, we follow the time evolution of the different reaction pathways. Only in the oxygen mass-transfer limit do we observe CO production, while our data suggests that carbon deposition also happens outside this limit.

From little things big things grow: enhancement of an acoustic telemetry network to monitor broad-scale movements of marine species along Australia's east coast.

BACKGROUND: Acoustic telemetry has become a fundamental tool to monitor the movement of aquatic species. Advances in technology, in particular the development of batteries with lives of > 10 years, have increased our ability to track the long-term movement patterns of many species. However, logistics and financial constraints often dictate the locations and deployment duration of acoustic receivers. Consequently, there is often a compromise between optimal array design and affordability. Such constraints can hinder the ability to track marine animals over large spatial and temporal scales. Continental-scale receiver networks have increased the ability to study large-scale movements, but significant gaps in coverage often remain. METHODS: Since 2007, the Integrated Marine Observing System's Animal Tracking Facility (IMOS ATF) has maintained permanent receiver installations on the eastern Australian seaboard. In this study, we present the recent enhancement of the IMOS ATF acoustic tracking infrastructure in Queensland to collect data on large-scale movements of marine species in the northeast extent of the national array. Securing a relatively small initial investment for expanding receiver deployment and tagging activities in Queensland served as a catalyst, bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders (research institutes, universities, government departments, port corporations, industries, Indigenous ranger groups and tourism operators) to create an extensive collaborative network that could sustain the extended receiver coverage into the future. To fill gaps between existing installations and maximise the monitoring footprint, the new initiative has an atypical design, deploying many single receivers spread across 2,100 km of Queensland waters. RESULTS: The approach revealed previously unknown broad-scale movements for some species and highlights that clusters of receivers are not always required to enhance data collection. However, array designs using predominantly single receiver deployments are more vulnerable to data gaps when receivers are lost or fail, and therefore "redundancy" is a critical consideration when designing this type of array. CONCLUSION: Initial results suggest that our array enhancement, if sustained over many years, will uncover a range of previously unknown movements that will assist in addressing ecological, fisheries, and conservation questions for multiple species.

Mechanisms behind sulfur promoted oxidation of methane.

The promoting effect of SO2 on the activity for methane oxidation over platinum supported on silica, alumina and ceria has been studied using a flow-reactor, in situ infrared spectroscopy and in situ high-energy X-ray diffraction experiments under transient reaction conditions. The catalytic activity is clearly dependent on the support material and its interaction with the noble metal both in the absence and presence of sulfur. On platinum, the competitive reactant adsorption favors oxygen dissociation such that oxygen self-poisoning is observed for Pt/silica and Pt/alumina. Contrarily for Pt/ceria, no oxygen self-poisoning is observed, which seems to be due to additional reaction channels via sites on the platinum-ceria boundary and/or ceria surface considerably far from the Pt crystallites. Addition of sulfur dioxide generally leads to the formation of ad-SO(x) species on the supports with a concomitant removal and/or blockage/rearrangement of surface hydroxyl groups. Thereby, the methane oxidation is inhibited for Pt/silica, enhanced for Pt/alumina and temporarily enhanced followed by inhibition after long-term exposure to sulfur for Pt/ceria. The observations can be explained by competitive oxidation of SO2 and CH4 on Pt/silica, formation of new active sites at the noble metal-support interface promoting dissociative adsorption of methane on Pt/alumina, and in the case of Pt/ceria, formation of promoting interfacial surface sulfates followed by formation of deactivating bulk-like sulfate species. Furthermore, it can be excluded that reduction of detrimental high oxygen coverage and/or oxide formation on the platinum particles through SO2 oxidation is the main cause for the promotional effects observed.

Formation of Epitaxial PdO(100) During the Oxidation of Pd(100).

The catalytic oxidation of CO and CH4 can be strongly influenced by the structures of oxide phases that form on metallic catalysts during reaction. Here, we show that an epitaxial PdO(100) structure forms at temperatures above 600 K during the oxidation of Pd(100) by gaseous O atoms as well as exposure to O2-rich mixtures at millibar partial pressures. The oxidation of Pd(100) by gaseous O atoms preferentially generates an epitaxial, multilayer PdO(101) structure at 500 K, but initiating Pd(100) oxidation above 600 K causes an epitaxial PdO(100) structure to grow concurrently with PdO(101) and produces a thicker and rougher oxide. We present evidence that this change in the oxidation behavior is caused by a temperature-induced change in the stability of small PdO domains that initiate oxidation. Our discovery of the epitaxial PdO(100) structure may be significant for developing relationships among oxide structure, catalytic activity, and reaction conditions for applications of oxidation catalysis.

Reversible formation of a PdC(x) phase in Pd nanoparticles upon CO and O2 exposure.

The structure and chemical composition of Pd nanoparticles exposed to pure CO and mixtures of CO and O(2) at elevated temperatures have been studied in situ by a combination of X-ray Diffraction and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy in pressures ranging from ultra high vacuum to 10 mbar and from room temperature to a few hundred degrees celsius. Our investigation shows that under CO exposure, above a certain temperature, carbon dissolves into the Pd particles forming a carbide phase. Upon exposure to CO and O(2) mixtures, the carbide phase forms and disappears reversibly, switching at the stoichiometric ratio for CO oxidation. This finding opens new scenarios for the understanding of catalytic oxidation of C-based molecules.

Optical demonstration of crystallography and reciprocal space using laser diffraction from Au microdisc arrays.

Crystallography is an invaluable tool in materials science, solid state physics and protein science. Understanding crystallography requires grasping the powerful but abstract concept of reciprocal space. Here a simple but insightful experiment using a laser pointer and Au microdisc arrays to explore and illustrate Bragg diffraction and reciprocal space is demonstrated. The Au microdisc arrays were manufactured using standard semiconductor fabrication techniques. The flexibility of the array design allows the demonstration of basic concepts such as lattice and atomic form factor, but also more advanced ones such as quasicrystal and shape function.