2D Material Membranes for Operando Atmospheric Pressure Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Probing the chemistry that occurs at catalyst interfaces under realistic process conditions is key to the rational design of better materials for industrial catalytic reactions. Ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, has until recently been limited to pressures two orders of magnitude below atmosphere. However, the development of photoelectron transparent membranes based on two-dimensional materials that can maintain large pressure differences and yet have thicknesses approaching or even falling below the inelastic mean free path of photoelectrons, now allows the atmospheric pressure regime and above to be accessed. We introduce here the fundamental principles underlying this membrane-based approach to atmospheric pressure photoelectron spectroscopy, and in this context highlight some of the key design concepts and challenges in performing experiments with this technique. We discuss a number of recent proof-of-concept studies, and highlight the potential of the membrane-based approach for operando characterisation of catalyst interfaces under reaction conditions, as well as some current challenges and limitations in this area.