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Abstract The advancement of clean energy and environment depends strongly on the development of efficient catalysts in a wide range of heterogeneous catalytic reactions, which has benefited from transmission electron microscopic techniques in determining the atomic‐scale morphologies and structures. However, it is the morphology and structure under the catalytic reaction conditions that determine the performance of the catalyst, which has captured a surge of interest in developing and applying in situ/operando transmission electron microscopic techniques in heterogeneous catalysis. The major theme of this review is to highlight some of the most recent insights into heterogeneous catalysts under the relevant reaction conditions using in situ/operando transmission electron microscopic techniques. Rather than a comprehensive overview of the basic principles of in situ/operando techniques, this review focuses on the insights into the atomic‐scale/nanoscale details of various catalysts ranging from single‐component to multicomponent catalysts under heterogeneous catalytic, electrocatalytic, and photocatalytic reaction conditions involving both gas–solid and liquid–solid interfaces. This focus is coupled with discussions of the correlation of the atomic, molecular, and nanoscale morphology, composition, and structure with the catalytic properties under the reaction conditions, shining light on the challenges and opportunities in design of nanostructured catalysts for clean and sustainable energy applications.
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This content will become publicly available on June 27, 2026
An Interdisciplinary Perspective to the Application of In Situ/Operando Techniques in Photocatalytic and Electrocatalytic Processes and its Future
Electro‐ and photodriven catalysis are emerging as viable alternatives to traditional catalytic methods for producing key global consumer products across various applications. The emergence of this class of catalysis is attributable to increasing need for sustainable and ecofriendly pathways to value‐added chemical synthesis. The roadmap for the highly diverse and multifaceted field of catalysis continues to evolve, highlighting the growing need of understanding their physical and chemical reaction mechanism. Among the many available characterization techniques, in situ and operando investigations stand out for their ability to provide detailed insights into fundamental physicochemical processes under realistic working conditions. In this article, a select group of representative energy material is discussed, where the application of different in situ/operando techniques successfully generates improved understanding. The primary goal is to emphasize the significance of these techniques, particularly those, which have been commonly employed in studying materials relevant to energy and environmental applications.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1954724
- PAR ID:
- 10642546
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- ChemPhysChem
- Volume:
- 26
- Issue:
- 15
- ISSN:
- 1439-4235
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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