Highly detailed images that show how matter organizes first into clusters and then into particles with thousands of atoms are helping researchers better understand catalytic processes. Ultimately, this greater understanding could make these chemical reactions with a wide range of industrial applications happen faster, more efficiently or both. Using Oak Ridge National Laboratory's aberration-corrected electron microscope, Larry Allard and colleagues at the University of Texas at Austin are analyzing nanoparticles of gold, palladium and their alloys. Gold-based catalysts are of particular interest to researchers because of their effectiveness in controlling many types of catalytic reactions. Images gained with ORNL's microscope provide sub-angstrom resolution. Funding is provided by DOE FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies.
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