Dynamics of Competing Reaction Pathways during Catalytic CO Hydrogenation on Ruthenium

Program Description

Optical femtosecond laser pulses can be used to initiate catalytically important reactions on metal surfaces, such as CO hydrogenation on ruthenium. Using the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), we selectively probed the surface O atoms using soft x-ray absorption and emission spectroscopies to obtain time-resolved electronic structure maps during the bond making and bond breaking processes of laser-induced CO hydrogenation. These electronic structure maps reveal the time evolution of different surface species along the reaction pathway, providing new insights into the reaction dynamics on metal catalysis.