Operando Catalysis

Our goal is to identify activity, selectivity and stability-determining properties of catalysts and to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the interfaces under stationary and dynamic reaction conditions. We study a variety of catalyst systems ranging from well-defined single crystal surfaces, to thin films, supported size and shape-controlled nanoparticles and industrially-relevant powder catalysts.

We are working on the development of tailored size-, shape-selected nanoparticle catalysts and nanostructured thin films either as model systems deposited on e.g. single crystal surfaces or as catalyst-support ensembles.

Our goal is to comprehensively investigate and identify the most important activity-/selectivity-/stability-determining properties and to achieve advanced mechanistic understanding.

Our main laboratory-based in situ and operando techniques include vibrational spectroscopy like electrochemical Raman and FTIR spectroscopy to access surface adsorbates under reaction conditions, or structural analysis using electrochemical (grazing-incidence) X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Additionally, we apply quasi in situ XPS and NAP-XPS to thoroughly determine the surface chemistry and composition before and after catalysis without any air exposure. We also perform operando electrochemical X-ray absorption spectroscopy in the soft X-ray regime as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at Bessy II, the synchrotron radiation facility in Berlin.

Recent Publications