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Integrated Transmission Electron and Single‐Molecule Fluorescence Microscopy Correlates Reactivity with Ultrastructure in a Single Catalyst Particle
Author(s) -
Hendriks Frank C.,
Mohammadian Sajjad,
Ristanović Zoran,
Kalirai Sam,
Meirer Florian,
Vogt Eelco T. C.,
Bruijnincx Pieter C. A.,
Gerritsen Hans C.,
Weckhuysen Bert M.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201709723
Subject(s) - transmission electron microscopy , reactivity (psychology) , particle (ecology) , materials science , zeolite , catalysis , fluorescence , characterization (materials science) , microscopy , nanoparticle , amorphous solid , nanomaterials , molecule , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , chemistry , crystallography , organic chemistry , optics , medicine , oceanography , alternative medicine , physics , engineering , pathology , geology
Establishing structure–activity relationships in complex, hierarchically structured nanomaterials, such as fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts, requires characterization with complementary, correlated analysis techniques. An integrated setup has been developed to perform transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and single‐molecule fluorescence (SMF) microscopy on such nanostructured samples. Correlated structure–reactivity information was obtained for 100 nm thin, microtomed sections of a single FCC catalyst particle using this novel SMF‐TEM high‐resolution combination. High reactivity in a thiophene oligomerization probe reaction correlated well with TEM‐derived zeolite locations, while matrix components, such as clay and amorphous binder material, were found not to display activity. Differences in fluorescence intensity were also observed within and between distinct zeolite aggregate domains, indicating that not all zeolite domains are equally active.