In situ ETEM studies of metal-irreducible ceramic support interactions

11 In situ ETEM studies of metal-irreducible ceramic support interactions 

In situ ETEM permits direct probing of particle sintering mechanisms and the effect of gas environments on supported metal-particle catalysts under reaction conditions. Here we present some examples of metals supported on non-wetting or irreducible ceramic supports, such as alumina and silica. The experiments are important in understanding metal-support interactions on irreducibe ceramics. 

The following examples describe in situ studies of copper metal catalysts supported on alumina in different gas environments. 

Previous studies of metal dispersion in oxidative environments on irreducible ceramic oxides (e.g. Wang etal 1981, Burkhardt et al 1989) have not incorporated 

The spread in oxygen is the result of surface energy effects. As described previously, under equilibrium conditions, 7sg — r ms = cos 0 (where the a 

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