Scanning flat surface spectroscopy

Nevertheless, the good catalytic performances shown by these phases are not always well understood yet. Surface sensitive spectroscopies, as XPS and confocal Raman, operated in their mapping mode, and scanning probe microscopies (AFM and STM) are very promising tools to investigate structural, superficial and catalytic properties of these materials. However, they only offer decent spatial resolutions if operated on macroscopically flat samples, thus making conventional catalytic powders often not suited. 

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