Role of Oxidation–Reduction Dynamics in the Application of Cu/ZnO-Based Catalysts

We investigated Cu nanoparticles (NPs) on vicinal and basal ZnO supports to obtain an atomistic picture of the catalyst’s structure under in situ oxidizing reducing conditions. The Cu/ZnO model catalysts were at elevated gas pressures by high energy grazing incidence X-ray diffraction ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS). find that are fully oxidized Cu2O atmospheric conditions room temperature. As swell during oxidation, they maintain their epitaxy (000 ± 1) surfaces, whereas (101̅4) surface, undergo a coherent tilt. oxidation process is reversible H2 flow 500 K, resulting predominantly well-aligned orientation NPs was only partially restored. analysis substrate crystal truncation rods evidences stability surfaces all No Cu–Zn bulk alloy formation observed. Under CO2 flow, no signal from detected, pointing completely disordered state. AP-XPS results line with CuO. Scanning electron microscopy images show massive mass transport has set in, leading larger agglomerates.