STEM imaging and spectroscopy studies of Au and Au-based catalysts

Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) has become an indispensable tool for catalyst research. In this article, we will provide a personal account of how imaging and spectroscopy in the STEM have helped our efforts of developing heterogeneous catalysts containing gold. Using primarily, but not exclusively, examples from our own research work, we show how the local chemical and structural information at the atomic scale that can be obtained by STEM analysis has allowed us to establish detailed synthesis-structure-property relationships for the understanding, optimization, and design of novel gold and gold alloy catalysts.