Prof. Dr. Günther Rupprechter: From averaging over an entire catalyst to single particle catalysis

Monday, February 19, 2024, 15:30 h; J. Heyrovský Institute, Brdicka Lecture Hall

Operando spectroscopy of catalytic reactions has been very successful in mechanistic studies, especially when combined with computational modelling (DOI:10.1002/smll.202004289). However, as spectroscopy typically examines large areas/volumes, this averaging “smoothens out” local variations that may be critical to understand how a reaction proceeds on an atomic level. Furthermore, dynamics in catalyst structure, composition and adsorbate coverage may also go unnoticed by averaged spectral data. A straightforward way overcoming these limitations is to use correlative surface microsopy to directly “watch” ongoing catalytic reactions, i.e. to apply several microscopic and spectro-microscopic techniques to the same catalyst locations under identical reaction conditions (DOI:10.1021/acscatal.2c03692). The methods presented not only image catalyst structure or composition, but also the adsorbed reactants, so that active and inactive states can be discerned, active regions identified and mechanisms elucidated (kinetics by imaging; DOI:10.1016/j.susc.2015.05.021). Examples of real-time in situ imaging of H2 oxidation are presented, covering micrometre-sized supported Rh particles (DOI:10.1021/acscatal.3c00060) and catalysis by a single Rh nanoparticle (DOI:10.1038/s41467-023-43026-3).

Günther Rupprechter is Professor of Surface and Interface Chemistry at TU Wien (Vienna, Austria). He has been Renowned Overseas Professor of Shanghai University of Engineering Science and Guest Professor at Kasetsart University Bangkok. Rupprechter is Director of Research of the new Austrian Cluster of Excellence “Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage (MECS)” of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), including 5 Austrian universities/institutions. He is member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the European Academy of Sciences and Vice-Chair of the Austrian Catalysis Society.