The ReactorAFM: non-contact atomic force microscope operating under high-pressure and high-temperature catalytic conditions

An Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) has been integrated in a miniature high-pressure flow reactor for in-situ observations of heterogeneous catalytic reactions under conditions similar to those of industrial processes. The AFM can image model catalysts such as those consisting of metal nanoparticles on flat oxide supports in a gas atmosphere up to 6 bar and at a temperature up to 600 K, while the catalytic activity can be measured using mass spectrometry. The high-pressure reactor is placed inside an Ultrahigh Vacuum (UHV) system to supplement it with standard UHV sample preparation and characterization techniques. To demonstrate that this instrument successfully bridges both the pressure gap and the materials gap, images have been recorded of supported palladium nanoparticles catalyzing the oxidation of carbon monoxide under high-pressure, high-temperature conditions.