Shedding Light on Electrocatalysts: Practical Considerations for Operando Studies with High-Energy X-Rays

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Operando studies using high-energy X-rays from synchrotron sources are essential for unraveling the complex material transformation that electrocatalysts undergo under operating conditions. This article explores key considerations to perform these experiments and the insights gained from such studies on nanostructured electrocatalysts. Critical factors include optimizing electrochemical performance while obtaining high-quality X-ray signals, which often require compromises. The electrochemical operando cell design is crucial, and several different cells are discussed here. Working electrode geometries parallel to the X-ray beam, probed with a microfocused beam, are emerging as promising solutions for realistic electrochemical performance in operando cells. Careful attention must also be paid to the electrochemical measuring conditions, electrode loading, and beam damage to ensure reliable experiments. When carefully performed and by combining multiple characterization techniques, operando studies with high-energy X-rays offer the unique possibility to fully understand the structure of the active electrocatalyst.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere202400171
JournalChemElectroChem
Volume11
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17 Jun 2024

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Danish National Research Foundation Center for High Entropy Alloy Catalysis (DNRF 149).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors. ChemElectroChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.

    Research areas

  • electrocatalysis, in situ, nanoparticles, operando, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray scattering

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