Measuring location, size, distribution, and loading of NiO crystallites in individual SBA-15 pores by electron tomography.

By the combination of electron tomography with image segmentation, the properties of 299 NiO crystallites contained in 6 SBA-15 pores were studied. A statistical analysis of the particle size showed that crystallites between 2 and 6 nm were present with a distribution maximum at 3 and 4 nm, for the number-weighted and volume-weighted curves, respectively. Interparticle distances between nearest neighbors were 1-3 nm with very few isolated crystallites.

Deactivation processes of homogeneous Pd catalysts using in situ time resolved spectroscopic techniques.

UV-Vis, combined with ED-XAFS shows, for the first time, the evolution of inactive Pd dimers and trimers, that are a possible first stage in the deactivation process of important palladium catalysed reactions, leading to larger palladium clusters and eventually palladium black.