Nanoreactors for in-situ x-ray spectroscopy and microscopy

We propose to detect in-situ soft x-ray microscopy with a novel nanoreactor design based on 2D detection of the x-ray absorption/scattering/emission signal, where along a line through the sample the x-ray emission spectrum is instantly measured at every pixel. The enhancement of the nanoreactor robustness in combination with the improved detection options will allow a range of operando catalytic experiments in the fields of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, carbon dioxide activation and biomass conversion. The novel design will also allow us to incorporate inline reactant/reaction product sensing with optical methods, such as SERS, or mass spectrometry, to make the direct connection between the state of the catalyst material and its catalytic performances.

Project leader: Prof. Frank de Groot