Structural study of small catalytic particles using differential anomalous x-ray scattering

Abstract
Using the differential anomalous x‐ray scattering (DAXS) technique, the diffuse diffraction pattern associated with small Pt particles has been successfully separated from the strong scattering of crystalline η‐Al2O3 as well as amorphous SiO2 supports. For samples with ≳2.5 wt. % Pt loading, the differential diffraction patterns unambiguously reveal that the Pt clusters are fcc microcrystals. The results demonstrate the feasibility of DAXS technique in structural study of catalytic particles and its advantage over EXAFS in revealing long‐range structure.