Unraveling Molecular Fingerprints of Catalytic Sulfur Poisoning at the Nanometer Scale with Near-Field Infrared Spectroscopy

• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c03088
• Publication Date: 2022-04-29T20:49:41Z
• Authors: Zafer Say; Melike Kaya; Çağıl Kaderoğlu; Yusuf Koçak; Kerem Emre Ercan; Abel Tetteh Sika-...; Ahsan Jalal; Ahmet Arda Turk; Christoph Langhammer; Mirali Jahangirza...; Engin Durgun; Emrah Ozensoy
• Keywords: Nanometre

Fundamental understanding of catalytic deactivation phenomena such as sulfur poisoning occurring on metal/metal-oxide interfaces is essential for the development high-performance heterogeneous catalysts with extended lifetimes. Unambiguous identification species requires experimental methods simultaneously delivering accurate information regarding adsorption sites and geometries adsorbates nanometer-scale spatial resolution, well their detailed chemical structure surface functional groups. However, to date, it has not been possible study at nanometer scale without sacrificing definition. Here, we demonstrate that near-field nano-infrared spectroscopy can effectively identify nature, sites, sulfur-based poisons a Pd(nanodisk)/Al2O3 (thin-film) planar model catalyst scale. The current results reveal striking variations in nature sulfate from one nanoparticle another, vast alterations single Pd assortment active metal–metal-oxide support interfacial sites. These findings provide critical molecular-level insights crucial long-lifetime precious metal resistant toward by sulfur.