In situ characterization of Cu–Co oxides for catalytic application

In situ emission and absorption FTIR methods were employed to characterize the spatially resolved structure of binary Co–Cu oxides for low-temperature oxidation of CO and propene. Co–Cu oxide catalysts were controllably synthesized by pulsed-spray evaporation chemical vapor deposition. XRD, FTIR, XPS, UV-vis and helium ion microscopy (HIM) were employed to characterize the as-prepared thin films in terms of structure, composition, optical and thermal properties as well as morphology. In situ emission FTIR spectroscopy indicates that Co₃O₄, CuCo₂O₄ and CuO are thermally stable at 650, 655 and 450 °C, respectively. The catalytic tests with absorption FTIR display that the involvement of Co–Cu oxides can initiate CO and C₃H₆ oxidation at lower temperatures. The results indicate that in situ emission and absorption FTIR are useful techniques to explore the thermal properties and catalytic performance of functional materials, allowing many potential applications in tailoring their temporally and spatially resolved structure-property relationships.

Formation and structure of copper(II) oxalate layers on carboxy-terminated self-assembled monolayers

Copper(II) oxalate was grown on carboxy-terminated self-assembled monolayers using a step-by-step approach by dipping the surfaces alternately in ethanolic solutions of copper(II) acetate and oxalic acid with intermediate thorough rinsing steps. The deposition was monitored by reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS), a quartz microbalance with dissipation measurement (QCM-D), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and helium ion microscopy (HIM). Amounts of material corresponding to a coverage of 75% of a monolayer are deposited in each dipping step in copper(II) acetate solution while deposition of oxalic acid produces a viscoelastic layer that is partially removed by rinsing. This points toward initial aggregation but acid not bound to Cu(2+) ions as oxalate ions is removed by the rinsing steps. RAIRS further indicates that the material grows as copper(II) oxalate ribbons similar to the crystal structure but with ribbons oriented roughly parallel to the surface. SEM and HIM give evidence of the formation of needle-shaped structures which are a possible explanation for the viscoelastic behavior of the layer.