Environmental TEM Study of Oxidation Processes of Catalytic Nanoparticles

Supported transition metal nanoparticles are extensively used in catalytic applications due to their high surface to volume ratio and high concentration of low coordinated atomic sites. When exposed to elevated temperatures and gas environments, a range of thermally activated processes can lead to morphological, structural and surface transformations, which have an effect on catalytic properties. Understanding these transformations under in-situ conditions is critical for rationalization of structure-property relationships, and essential for future advancement of catalytic technologies.