Microscopy reveals oxygen moving through a catalyst support

Scientists have directly observed oxygen migration through the interior of a catalyst support, offering new insight into processes that influence catalytic reactions.

The research, published in Nature, brought together the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics and Southern University of Science and Technology. Environmental transmission electron microscopy allowed the team to investigate oxygen movement in titanium dioxide.

The observations extend understanding beyond oxygen moving only along a surface. They also point to the importance of the interface between a metal and its support. Understanding these pathways could inform catalyst design, although the study itself concerns the underlying mechanism rather than the launch of a commercial catalyst.