MEMS Nanoreactors

MEMS Nanoreactors

Capturing the Genesis of an Active Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis Catalyst with Operando X‐ray Nanospectroscopy

A state‐of‐the‐art operando spectroscopic technique is applied to Co/TiO2 catalysts, which account for nearly half of the world’s transportation fuels produced by Fischer–Tropsch catalysis. This allows determination of, at a spatial resolution of approximately 50 nm, the interdependence of formed hydrocarbon species in the inorganic catalyst. Observed trends show intra‐ and interparticular heterogeneities previously believed not to occur in particles under 200 μm. These heterogeneities are strongly dependent on changes in H2/CO ratio, but also on changes thereby induced on the Co and

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MEMS Nanoreactors

Visualization of oscillatory behaviour of Pt nanoparticles catalysing CO oxidation

Many catalytic reactions under fixed conditions exhibit oscillatory behaviour. The oscillations are often attributed to dynamic changes in the catalyst surface. So far, however, such relationships were difficult to determine for catalysts consisting of supported nanoparticles. Here, we employ a nanoreactor to study the oscillatory CO oxidation catalysed by Pt nanoparticles using time-resolved high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, mass spectrometry and calorimetry. The observations reveal that periodic changes in the CO oxidation are synchronous with a periodic refacetting of the Pt

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MEMS Nanoreactors

An all-in-one nanoreactor for high-resolution microscopy on nanomaterials at high pressures

We present a new MEMS nanoreactor fully integrated on a single die. It enables atomic-scale imaging of nanostructured materials under the high pressures and temperatures that are typical for many industrial applications (14 bar and 660°C). The reactor can therefore be used to study the behavior of e.g. catalysts in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). It has a shallow channel (0.5 μm), which is made with surface micromachining techniques and contains pillars that prevent bulging. Integrated with the channel are

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MEMS Optomechanical Oscillators

Other MEMS devices