The Study of Heterogeneous Catalysts by High-Resolution Transmission Electron MicroscoDV

Abstract

Abstract Advances in instrumentation have made it possible in recent years to study the microstructure of inorganic materials at atomic resolution using the technique of high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). Details of instrumentation have been described elsewhere [l], and applications and trends for HREM have recently been reviewed [2]. Although HREM is primarily a technique for studying bulk defects, it is increasingly also being applied in the profile-imaging mode to derive information about surfaces [3]. The high spatial resolution of the electron microscope makes it a valuable tool for the characterization of heterogeneous catalysts. This is evidenced by the growing number of studies wherein electron micrographs are being used to describe the morphology of a particular catalyst. Profile imaging is proving particularly useful in this regard for following changes in surface structure as a function of treatment conditions [4].