Visualization of gas distribution in a model AP-XPS reactor by PLIF: Co oxidation over a Pd(100) catalyst

In situ knowledge of the gas phase around a catalyst is essential to make an accurate correlation between the catalytic activity and surface structure in operando studies. Although ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) can provide information on the gas phase as well as the surface structure of a working catalyst, the gas phase detected has not been spatially resolved to date, thus possibly making it ambiguous to interpret the AP-XPS spectra. In this work, planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) is used to visualize the CO₂ distribution in a model AP-XPS reactor, during CO oxidation over a Pd(100) catalyst. The results show that the gas composition in the vicinity of the sample measured by PLIF is significantly different from that measured by a conventional mass spectrometer connected to a nozzle positioned just above the sample. In addition, the gas distribution above the catalytic sample has a strong dependence on the gas flow and total chamber pressure. The technique presented has the potential to increase our knowledge of the gas phase in AP-XPS, as well as to optimize the design and operating conditions of in situ AP-XPS reactors for catalysis studies.