Real‐Time Atomic‐Scale Visualization of Reversible Copper Surface Activation during the CO Oxidation Reaction

By using in situ aberration‐corrected environmental transmission electron microscopy, for the first time at atomic level, the dynamic evolution of the Cu surface is captured during CO oxidation. Under reaction conditions, the Cu surface is activated, typically involving 2–3 atomic layers with the formation of a reversible metastable phase that only exists during catalytic reactions. The distinctive role of CO and O2 in the surface activation is revealed, which features CO exposure to lead to surface roughening and consequently formation of low‐coordinated Cu atoms, while O2 exposure induces a quasi‐crystalline CuOx phase. Supported by DFT calculations, it is shown that crystalline CuOx reversibly transforms into the amorphous phase, acting as an active species to facilitate the interaction of gas reactants and catalyzing CO oxidation. Copper surfer: The atomic‐scale surface activation process of copper during CO oxidation was observed through environmental transmission electron microscopy. 2–3 atomic layers of the Cu surface are activated with CO and with the help of O2, which intercalates into Cu lattices. CuOx is also observed and believed to be an active species catalyzing the CO oxidation reaction.