Operando and In Situ Methods

Knowledge-based catalyst design is a desirable approach for catalyst development, which requires systematic studies at the molecular scale to generate an understanding of relationships between the structural features of catalysts and their impact on catalytic activity (the so-called structure-reactivity relationship). Such direct insight can only be obtained by analyzing the catalysts under operation, that is, under technical conditions of the catalytic process. 

Heterogeneous Catalysts for Clean Technology Spectroscopy, Design, and Monitoring, First Edition. 

The term online implies that analytical methods gain information directly from the process. This is in contrast to offline analytics, where a sample is taken from the process and transferred to a central analytical laboratory with sophisticated instrumentation. Formally, online analytical techniques can be further classified into atline, online, inline, and noninvasive techniques [6, 7]. 

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This chapter attempts to illustrate the role of both operando and in situ methods for catalyst characterization spanning chronologically, catalyst nascence, life, and death. This it done by utilizing showcase examples to illustrate the insight that the chosen techniques can deliver for both fundamental and more appHed catalytic problems, thereby providing a flavor of what is now currently possible in this vibrant field of research. 

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