A laboratory-based multifunctional near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy system for electrochemical, catalytic, and cryogenic studies

• Published in: Review of scientific instruments Vol. 94; no. 6
• Main Authors: Haug, Leander, Griesser, Christoph, Thurner, Christoph W., Winkler, Daniel, Moser, Toni, Thaler, Marco, Bartl, Pit, Rainer, Manuel, Portenkirchner, Engelbert, Schumacher, David, Dierschke, Karsten, Köpfle, Norbert, Penner, Simon, Beyer, Martin K., Loerting, Thomas, Kunze-Liebhäuser, Julia, Klötzer, Bernhard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.06.2023
• ISSN: 0034-6748; 1089-7623
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0151755

A versatile multifunctional laboratory-based near ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) instrument is presented. The entire device is highly customized regarding geometry, exchangeable manipulators and sample stages for liquid- and solid-state electrochemistry, cryochemistry, and heterogeneous catalysis. It therefore delivers novel and unique access to a variety of experimental approaches toward a broad choice of functional materials and their specific surface processes. The high-temperature (electro)catalysis manipulator is designed for probing solid state/gas phase interactions for heterogeneous catalysts including solid electrolyzer/fuel cell electrocatalysts at pressures up to 15 mbar and temperatures from room temperature to 1000 °C. The liquid electrochemistry manipulator is specifically designed for in situ spectroscopic investigations of polarized solid/liquid interfaces using aqueous electrolytes and the third one for experiments for ice and ice-like materials at cryogenic temperatures to approximately −190 °C. The flexible and modular combination of these setups provides the opportunity to address a broad spectrum of in situ and operando XPS experiments on a laboratory-based system, circumventing the limited accessibility of experiments at synchrotron facilities.