Researchers in Ghent have found a method to determine the temperature of a catalyst very locally during a reaction, as reported in Nature Catalysis. Their work offers a new fundamental view of catalytic reactions.

‘The vast majority of the literature on catalysis deals with the relationship between the structure of the catalyst and its performance’, states Matthias Filez, assistant professor at Ghent University. This is not surprising, of course, since the structure influences which molecules can bind to it. ‘But what is often overlooked is that the temperature of the catalyst can change due to chemical reactions. The laws of thermodynamics and kinetics tell us that this temperature is an important parameter in determining how fast reactions can take place and what products can be formed. If the temperature of the catalyst changes, the performance potential can also change.’