Advanced X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy: in situ catalytic studies

Knowledge of the structure of catalysts is essential to understand their behavior, which further facilitates development of an active, selective, and stable catalyst. Determining the structure of a functioning catalyst is essential in this regard. The structure of a catalyst is prone to change during the catalytic process and needs to be determined in its working conditions. In this tutorial review, we have summarized studies done at synchrotron radiation facilities that illustrate the capability to determine catalyst structure using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES). These studies aim at facilitating the determination of the dynamic structure-performance relationships during a catalytic process.