Prof. Edvin Lundgren
Div. Synchrotron Rad. Research, Institute of Physics
Lund University, Schweden

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 has been instrumental for the present day understanding of catalysis. We have in recent years explored the possibilities to perform experiments at conditions closer to those of a technical catalyst, in particular at increased pressures. In this contribution, results from catalytic CO oxidation over Pd single crystal surfaces using Near-Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) [1], High Energy Surface X-Ray Diffraction (HESXRD) [2], and Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) [3] will be presented.

Armed with structural knowledge from ultra-high vacuum experiments, the presence of adsorbed molecules and gas-phase induced structures can be identified, and related to changes in the reactivity and/or to reaction induced gas-flow limitations. The strength and weaknesses of the experimental techniques will be discussed.

[1]               S. Blomberg et al; Phys. Rev. Lett. 110 (2013) 117601.
[2]               J. Gustafson et al; Science 343 (2014) 758.
[3]               J. Zetterberg et al; Nat. Comm. 6 (2015) 7076.