Hard x-ray nanotomography for 3D analysis of coking in nickel-based catalysts

DOI: 10.1002/anie.202106380

Authors: Sebastian Weber (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) , Darren Batey (Diamond Light Source) , Silvia Cipiccia (University College London) , Matthias Stehle (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) , Ken L. Abel (Leipzig University) , Roger Gläser (Leipzig University) , Thomas Lennon Sheppard (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Angewandte Chemie International Edition

State: Published (Approved)
Published: August 2021
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 24079

Abstract: Understanding catalyst deactivation by coking is crucial for knowledge-based catalyst and process design in reactions with carbonaceous species. Post-mortem analysis of catalyst coking is often performed by bulk characterization methods. Here hard X-ray ptychographic computed tomography (PXCT) was used to study Ni/Al2O3 catalysts for CO2 methanation and CH4 dry reforming after artificial coking treatment. PXCT generated quantitative 3D maps of local electron density at ca. 80 nm resolution, allowing to visualize and evaluate the severity of coking in entire catalyst particles of ca. 40 µm diameter. Coking was primarily revealed in the nanoporous solid, which was not detectable in resolved macropores. Coke formation was independently confirmed by operando Raman spectroscopy. PXCT is highlighted as an emerging characterization tool for nanoscale identification, co-localization, and potentially quantification of deactivation phenomena in 3D space within entire catalyst particles.

Journal Keywords: carbon; nickel; X-ray ptychography; methanation of CO2; Raman spectroscopy

Subject Areas: Chemistry, Technique Development


Instruments: I13-1-Coherence

Added On: 03/08/2021 13:20

Documents:
anie.202106380.pdf

Discipline Tags:

Physical Chemistry Technique Development - Chemistry Catalysis Chemistry

Technical Tags:

Imaging Coherent Diffraction Imaging (CDI) Ptychography