High throughput <i>in situ</i> EXAFS instrumentation for the automatic characterization of materials and catalysts

An XAS data acquisition and control system for the in situ analysis of dynamic materials libraries under control of temperature and gaseous environment has been developed. It was integrated at the SRS in Daresbury, UK, beamline 9.3, using a Si (220) monochromator and a 13 element solid state Ge fluorescence detector. The core of the system is an intelligent X, Y, Z, θ positioning system coupled to multi-stream quadrupole mass spectrometry analysis (QMS). The system is modular and can be adapted to other synchrotron radiation beamlines. The entire software control was implemented using Labview and allows the scan of a variety of library sizes, in several positions, angles, gas compositions and temperatures with minimal operator intervention. The system was used for the automated characterization of a library of 91 catalyst precursors containing ternary combinations of Cu, Pt, and Au on γ-Al2O3, and for the evaluation and structural characterization of eight Au catalysts supported on A12O3 and TiO2. Mass spectrometer traces reveal conversion rate oscillations in 6wt % Au/γAl2O3 catalysts. The use of HT experimentation for in situ EXAFS studies demonstrates the feasibility and potential of HT in situ XAFS for synchrotron radiation studies

Microreactor cells for high throughput x-ray absorption spectroscopy

High-throughput experimentation has been applied to X-ray Absorption spectroscopy as a novel route for increasing research productivity in the catalysis community. Suitable instrumentation has been developed for the rapid determination of the local structure in the metal component of precursors for supported catalysts. An automated analytical workflow was implemented that is much faster than traditional individual spectrum analysis. It allows the generation of structural data in quasi-real time. We describe initial results obtained from the automated high throughput (HT) data reduction and analysis of a sample library implemented through the 96 well-plate industrial standard. The results show that a fully automated HT-XAS technology based on existing industry standards is feasible and useful for the rapid elucidation of geometric and electronic structure of materials

High Throughput In Situ XAFS Screening of Catalysts

We outline and demonstrate the feasibility of high-throughput (HT) in situ XAFS for synchrotron radiation studies. An XAS data acquisition and control system for the analysis of dynamic materials libraries under control of temperature and gaseous environments has been developed. The system is compatible with the 96-well industry standard and coupled to multi-stream quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS) analysis of reactor effluents. An automated analytical workflow generates data quickly compared to traditional individual spectrum acquisition and analyses them in quasi-real time using an HT data analysis tool based on IFFEFIT. The system was used for the automated characterization of a library of 91 catalyst precursors containing ternary combinations of Cu, Pt, and Au on ?-Al2O3, and for the in situ characterization of Au catalysts supported on Al2O3 and TiO2

Project overview and update on WEAVE: the next generation wide-field spectroscopy facility for the William Herschel Telescope

We present an overview of and status report on the WEAVE next-generation spectroscopy facility for the William Herschel Telescope (WHT). WEAVE principally targets optical ground-based follow up of upcoming ground-based (LOFAR) and space-based (Gaia) surveys. WEAVE is a multi-object and multi-IFU facility utilizing a new 2-degree prime focus field of view at the WHT, with a buffered pick-and-place positioner system hosting 1000 multi-object (MOS) fibres, 20 integral field units, or a single large IFU for each observation. The fibres are fed to a single spectrograph, with a pair of 8k(spectral) x 6k (spatial) pixel cameras, located within the WHT GHRIL enclosure on the telescope Nasmyth platform, supporting observations at R~5000 over the full 370-1000nm wavelength range in a single exposure, or a high resolution mode with limited coverage in each arm at R~20000. The project is now in the final design and early procurement phase, with commissioning at the telescope expected in 2017.Comment: 11 pages, 11 Figures, Summary of a presentation to Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation 201