The collisional deactivation of vibrationally highly excited azulene was studied from the gas to the compressed liquid phase. Employing supercritical fluids like He, Xe, CO2, and ethane at pressures of 6–4000 bar and temperatures ≥380 K, measurements over the complete gas–liquid transition were performed. Azulene with an energy of 18 000 cm−1 was generated by laser excitation into the S1 and internal conversion to the S0*-ground state. The subsequent loss of vibrational energy was monitored by transient absorption at the red edge of the S3←S0 absorption band near 290 nm. Transient signals were converted into energy-time profiles using hot band absorption coefficients from shock wave experiments for calibration and accounting for solvent shifts of the spectra. Under all conditions, the decays were monoexponential. At densities below 1 mol/l, collisional deactivation rates increased linearly with fluid density. Average energies 〈ΔE〉 transferred per collision agreed with data from dilute gas phase experiments. For Xe, CO2, and C2H6, the linear relation between cooling rate and diffusion coefficient scaled collision frequencies ZD turned over to a much weaker dependence at ZD≳0.3 ps−1. Up to collision frequencies of ZD=15 ps−1 this behavior can well be rationalized by a model employing an effective collision frequency related to the finite lifetime of collision complexes.

Pt-CeO2-Al2O3 catalysts play an important role in diesel oxidation and three-way catalysis. In this study, the fast structural dynamics of both platinum and ceria in a 1 wt %Pt/5 wt %CeO2-Al2O3 catalyst prepared by flame spray pyrolysis have been systematically investigated under reducing and oxidizing conditions to elucidate the role of the Pt–CeO2 interface for CO oxidation and fast oxygen storage/release of ceria. The catalyst showed enhanced catalytic activity, particularly after application of a reducing/oxidizing conditioning step at 250 °C, with a pronounced dependence on the reducing agent (C3H6 < H2 < CO). In situ time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Ce L3-edge unraveled a dependence of the reduction extent of ceria during temperature-programmed reduction on the noble metal constituent and the applied reducing agent. Dynamic reducing/oxidizing cycling (2% H2 ↔ 10% O2 or 2% CO ↔ 10% O2) at various temperatures (150, 250, and 350 °C) showed that the reducibility of ceria increased at higher temperature and by using a more strongly reducing reaction mixture. This coincides with the trend in catalytic activity. Time-resolved XAS data recorded at the Pt L3-edge and Ce L3-edge during redox cycling revealed a close relationship between the Pt oxidation state and the ceria redox response. The formation of reduced Pt particles was found to induce variations in ceria reducibility under transient conditions and was identified as a decisive prerequisite for ceria reduction at low temperatures. Variations in the extent of ceria reduction during the reducing/oxidizing cycles indicate an evolution of the Pt–ceria interface from an inactive state toward an optimal activated state due to reduction and slight sintering of the noble metal particles. Further growth of Pt particles leads to a decrease in ceria reduction rate due to the smaller Pt–CeO2 interface perimeter. A schematic model illustrating the role of Pt for ceria reducibility is developed and the optimal Pt particle size derived. The results are relevant for various applications, particularly for catalysts operated at low temperature under highly dynamic reaction conditions such as exhaust gas catalysts.

No abstract

No abstract