In this talk, it will be shown how a series of in-situ techniques [X-ray diffraction (XRD), pair-distribution-function analysis (PDF), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), environmental scanning tunneling microscopy (ESTM), infrared spectroscopy (IR), ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS)] can be combined to perform detailed studies of the structural, electronic and chemical properties of metal/oxide catalysts used for the production of hydrogen through the water-gas shift reaction (WGS, CO + H₂O → H₂ + CO₂). Under reaction conditions most WGS catalysts undergo chemical transformations that drastically modify their composition with respect to that obtained during the synthesis process. The active phase of catalysts which combine Cu, Au or Pt with oxides such as ZnO, CeO₂, TiO₂, CeO_x/TiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ essentially involves nanoparticles of the reduced noble metals. The oxide support undergoes partial reduction and is not a simple spectator, facilitating the dissociation of water and in some cases modifying the chemical properties of the supported metal. Therefore, to optimize the performance of these catalysts one must take into consideration the properties of the metal and oxide phases. IR and AP-XPS have been used to study the reaction mechanism for the WGS on the metal/oxide catalysts. Data of IR spectroscopy indicate that formate species are not necessarily involved in the main reaction path for the water-gas shift on Cu-, Au- and Pt-based catalysts. Thus, a pure redox mechanism or associative mechanisms that involve either carbonate-like (CO₃, HCO₃) or carboxyl (HOCO) species should be considered. In the last two decades, there have been tremendous advances in our ability to study catalytic materials under reaction conditions and we are moving towards the major goal of fully understanding how the active sites for the production of hydrogen through the WGS actually work.

Besides a sophisticated synthesis of bimetallic nanocatalysts in a colloidal solution, a post-synthesis reaction in a gaseous phase is a complementary method to tailor the surface structure and composition of a bimetallic nanocatalyst to tune its catalytic performance. Here we illustrate the capability of creating a new catalyst surface exhibiting a lower activation barrier through segregation of a bimetallic catalyst in a post-synthesis reaction in a reactive gaseous environment. In-situ surface chemistry of bimetallic nanocatalysts were analyzed with AP-XPS. Coordination environment of Pt and Cu atoms under different reaction conditions was tracked with in-situ EXAFS. The surface restructuring was simulated with DFT calculation from thermodynamic,ci point of view. The composition and geometric structure of the newly formed surface of the bimetallic nanocatalysts strongly depend on the reactant gas used in the post-synthesis reaction. A further sequential reaction in a different gas after the initial post-synthesis reaction in a gas forms a different catalyst surface. A post-synthesis reaction of a Pt-Cu regular nanocube (Pt-Cu RNC) in hydrogen forms a near surface alloy (NSA) which exhibits an activation barrier of 39 kJ/mol for CO oxidation, much lower than pure Pt nanocubes. These studies demonstrate a method of tuning catalytic performances and generate another catalytic phase through a post-synthesis reaction in a gas phase.

Energy storage for vehicles is advancing rapidly, and one of the possible contenders for a battery that can quickly be recharged is a redox flow battery, which uses liquids that are pumped into the battery to be charged or discharged, and then removed to storage containers. This makes the chemistry roughly analogous to liquid fuels employment, where the charged chemistry is pumped into the battery, discharged, and then pumped into a waste container, similar to fuel pumped into an engine, ignited, and then expelled through the tailpipe. Unlike internal combustion engines, however, the discharged product is retained on the vehicle, and can be subsequently either recharged on the vehicle, or pumped off the vehicle to be recharged at a filling station, while replacing with freshly charged material.

To date, however, the concentrations of most redox flow battery chemistries have been low, below the 1-2M concentration level. Recently, a new type of ionic liquid (IL) redox flow chemistry has been developed that raises this to 5-6M, and improves the energy density of the system. However, little is known about the structure of the molecule in the charged and discharged states. The current understanding of the structure of the IL, primarily the Fe IL, comes from primarily from FTIR, Raman, and TGA/DSC data, as traditional methods such as NMR to probe surface chemistry are limited due to the paramagnetic Fe center. It is believed the coordination of the ligand to the metal center occurs primarily through the alcohol groups. Cyclic voltammetry of the FeIL exhibits behavior associated with Fe(III)/Fe(II) reduction/oxidation, with some evidence that the ligands are coordinating to adjacent Fe atoms, resulting in antiferromagnetic coupling between the metal centers. A complete, fundamental understanding of the local coordination and ligand environment is not known and is the primary goal of our research. To further understand this structure, we have constructed a new electrochemical cell to be used for in situ transmission Fe K-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. We conduct our measurements at various states of charge, and the structure of the molecule in these various states is determined using this from analyzing both the XANES and EXAFS. Effects of electrochemical cell potential on local structure of the FeIL will be discussed.

Instrumented indentation or “nanoindentation” is a method that is widely used in the study of the mechanical deformation of materials on small length scales (~ micrometer). Raman spectroscopy is a technique that provides insight into the molecular or crystallographic level processes involved in the mechanical deformation of materials, such as strain build-up, phase transformations and variations in crystallinity. Typically these approaches have been used separately wherein the spectroscopic analysis of the material might take place prior to and after the end of a mechanical transformation. Of course, there is significant interest in in situ analyses of materials during mechanical transformation as such an approach promises a richer understanding of the underlying physics than is likely possible with analysis limited to pre- and post-transformation. For example, the ability to follow the path of phase transformations rather than just the endpoints is certainly desirable. Consequently, significant effort has been directed toward the coupling of indentation instruments with various in situ analysis capabilities.

This talk describes the design and operation of a nanoindentation instrument that is coupled with a laser scanning Raman microscope to conduct in situ spectroscopic analyses of mechanically deformed regions of optically transparent materials under contact loading. The force transducer of the device allows adjustment of crucial experimental parameters, such as indentation loads and loading rates. An incorporated displacement sensor allows for collection of force-displacement curves comparable to conventional nanoindentation instruments. The device is mounted on the sample stage of an inverted optical microscope that is configured for Raman microscopy, allowing optical access to the mechanically deformed regions of transparent samples. The capabilities of this novel instrument will be demonstrated by in situ studies of the indentation-induced phase transformations in an epitaxial silicon-on-sapphire (SoS) thin film, in both a microspectroscopy and a laser scanning Raman imaging configuration.