Particle-Support Interferences in Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering from Supported-Catalyst Materials

Small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) is widely used to study the nanoscale structure of catalysts, a key property that determines their activity in e.g. fuel cells, chemical reactors, and automotive catalytic converters. The authors reveal a strong SAXS interference effect, due to spatial correlations between catalyst nanoparticles and their supporting material, and provide a mathematical model to handle this interference in data analysis. These results help to overcome an important barrier to catalyst optimization.