in-situ BCDI studies of High entropy alloy nanoparticles under operando condition

Ammonia has been demonstrated to be a promising liquid fuel for hydrogen storage. High entropy alloy (HEA) nanoparticles have become the spotlight of ammonia decomposition catalysts. Compared to the classic Ru catalyst, HEAs with earth-abundant elements significantly reduce the manufactural cost and have demonstrated higher catalytic efficiency. As heterogeneous catalysts, the reaction occurs at the solid-gas interface. The surface strain of catalysts plays an important role in the catalytic activities. We propose to visualize HEA nanoparticles' 3D surface strain evolution under operando conditions with the Bragg Coherent Diffractive Imaging method. A series of CoxMoy HEA catalysts will be studied at a wide range of temperatures, from the onset of the catalytic reaction to full efficiency, with the classic Ru catalyst as a benchmark. The outcome will provide an insightful understanding of the direct impact of the surface strain evolute on the catalytic activity and efficiency.