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Hard X‐Ray Nanotomography for 3D Analysis of Coking in Nickel‐Based Catalysts
Author(s) -
Weber Sebastian,
Batey Darren,
Cipiccia Silvia,
Stehle Matthias,
Abel Ken L.,
Gläser Roger,
Sheppard Thomas L.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.202106380
Subject(s) - catalysis , coke , characterization (materials science) , materials science , nanoporous , nickel , chemical engineering , raman spectroscopy , methanation , nanoscopic scale , nanotechnology , metallurgy , chemistry , organic chemistry , physics , engineering , optics
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/Al 2 O 3 catalysts for CO 2 methanation and CH 4 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.