Direct Visualization and Control of Atomic Mobility at {100} Surfaces of Ceria in the Environmental Transmission Electron Microscope

Ceria is one of the world's most prominent material for applications in heterogeneous catalysis, as catalyst support or catalyst itself. Despite an exhaustive literature on the structure of reactive facets of CeO2 in line with its catalytic mechanisms, the temporal evolution of the atomic surface structure exposed to realistic redox conditions remains elusive. Here, we provide a direct visualization of the atomic mobility of cerium atoms on {100} surfaces of CeO2 nanocubes at room temperature in high vacuum, O-2, and CO2 atmospheres in an environmental transmission electron microscope. Through quantification of the cationic mobility, we demonstrate the control of the surface dynamics under exposure to O-2 and CO2 atmospheres, providing opportunities for a better understanding of the intimate catalytic mechanisms.