Controlled In Situ Gas Reaction Studies of Catalysts at High Temperature and Pressure with Atomic Resolution

In situ reaction studies of catalyst materials using closed-cell environmental specimen holders have been shown to allow atomic resolution to be obtained on e.g. catalyst materials, at elevated temperatures and pressures [1-4]. These holders incorporate MEMS-based devices into the holder tip, which serve to encapsulate a gas layer between a thin film heater device and an ultra-thin amorphous SiN window. With a gas layer of only 5-10 μm, pressures of up to 1 atm and temperatures of 1000°C are routinely employed without significant loss in resolution, especially in scanning transmission mode in a probecorrected microscope [1]. The holder-based approach does not require a dedicated TEM, and most existing microscopes are compatible with current holder designs.