PNNL

Abstract

The characterization of catalytic materials under working conditions is of paramount importance for a realistic depiction and comprehensive understanding of the system. Under such relevant environments, catalysts often exhibit properties or reactivity not observed under standard spectroscopic conditions. Fulfilling such harsh environments as high temperature and pressure is a particular challenge for solid-state NMR where samples spin several thousand times a second within a strong magnetic field. To address concerns of the disparities between spectroscopic environments and operando conditions, novel MAS NMR technology has been developed that enables the probing of catalytic systems over a wide range of pressures, temperatures, and chemical environments. In this account, new efforts to overcome the technical challenges in the development of operando MAS NMR will be briefly outlined. Emphasis will be placed on exploring the unique chemical regimes that take advantage of the new developments. With the progress achieved, it is possible to collect information on various nuclear constituents (1H, 13C, 23Na, 27Al, etc.) as well as assess time-resolved interactions and transformations.