In Situ and Operando Spectroscopy of Catalysts I: General Methods

Monitoring the events taking place in catalytic materials under reaction conditions is crucial for understanding the reaction mechanisms of many important chemical processes and would allow the rational design of new or better catalysts. This monitoring includes the observation of reaction intermediates, discrimination between spectator species and active sites, quantification of unusual oxidation states and coordination environments of metal ions as well as migration and mobility of species at the catalyst surface. In addition, there is an increasing trend in the catalysis community to develop spectroscopic tools in such a way that they allow following the physicochemical processes taking place in an active catalyst in real time and under operating conditions. This session seeks contributions that discuss the latest fundamental and technical aspects related with the field of in situ spectroscopy of catalyst materials under working conditions. Contributions are encouraged that address: (1) the possibilities and limitations of different true in situ or operando spectroscopic techniques; (2) The design and construction of high quality spectroscopic-reaction cells; (3) The quantification and detection of active sites; the discrimination between spectator species and active sites; the observation of reaction intermediates as well as the elucidation of reaction mechanisms.