Bragg Coherent Diffraction Imaging for In Situ Studies in Electrocatalysis

Author(s)

Vicente, Rafael A. ; Neckel, Itamar T. ; Sankaranarayanan, Subramanian K. R. S. ; Solla-Gullon, Jose ; Fernandez, Pablo S.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ACS NANO; v. 15, n. 4, p. 18-pg., 2021-04-01.

Abstract

Electrocatalysis is at the heart of a broad range of physicochemical applications that play an important role in the present and future of a sustainable economy. Among the myriad of different electrocatalysts used in this field, nanomaterials are of ubiquitous importance. An increased surface area/volume ratio compared to bulk makes nanoscale catalysts the preferred choice to perform electrocatalytic reactions. Bragg coherent diffraction imaging (BCDI) was introduced in 2006 and since has been applied to obtain 3D images of crystalline nanomaterials. BCDI provides information about the displacement field, which is directly related to strain. Lattice strain in the catalysts impacts their electronic configuration and, consequently, their binding energy with reaction intermediates. Even though there have been significant improvements since its birth, the fact that the experiments can only be performed at synchrotron facilities and its relatively low resolution to date (similar to 10 nm spatial resolution) have prevented the popularization of this technique. Herein, we will briefly describe the fundamentals of the technique, including the electrocatalysis relevant information that we can extract from it. Subsequently, we review some of the computational experiments that complement the BCDI data for enhanced information extraction and improved understanding of the underlying nanoscale electrocatalytic processes. We next highlight success stories of BCDI applied to different electrochemical systems and in heterogeneous catalysis to show how the technique can contribute to future studies in electrocatalysis. Finally, we outline current challenges in spatiotemporal resolution limits of BCDI and provide our perspectives on recent developments in synchrotron facilities as well as the role of machine learning and artificial intelligence in addressing them. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/11986-5 - Generation and storage of New Energy: bringing technological development for the country
• Grantee: Ana Flávia Nogueira
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Centers in Engineering Program
• FAPESP's process: 18/20952-0 - Applied and fundamental studies of the electrochemical conversion of alcohols and CO2
• Grantee: Pablo Sebastián Fernández
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Regular Program Grants
• FAPESP's process: 19/13888-6 - Fundamental studies of the electrode-solution interface in relevant systems in (electro)catalysis
• Grantee: Rafael Alcides Vicente
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master