Catalytic Oscillation Phenomena in Oxidation Reactions

Catalytic oscillation phenomena manifest as spontaneous periodic fluctuations in reaction rates and product selectivities during heterogeneous oxidation processes. These oscillations arise from dynamic feedback loops between surface chemistry, heat release, reactant adsorption and catalyst structural transformations. Common in CO, methane and hydrocarbon oxidations, such behaviour reflects transitions between active and inhibited surface states, driven by interconversion of adsorbed oxygen species, carbonaceous intermediates or transient temperature spikes. Understanding oscillations provides insight into catalyst metastability and complex reaction pathways, enabling improved control of selectivity, stability and energy efficiency in industrial reactors. Recent advances in operando microscopy, spectroscopy and nonlinear dynamical models have elucidated the mechanistic underpinnings of these oscillations and opened avenues for designing catalysts that harness or suppress dynamic behaviour to optimise performance under varying reaction conditions.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have applied operando imaging and spectroscopy to reveal how dynamic transformations of oxygen species on Ni catalysts during dry reforming of methane induce self-sustained rate oscillations. Observations showed sequential interconversion of atomic surface oxygen, subsurface oxygen and bulk NiOₓ phases that correspond to alternating active and less active states. A separate investigation of CO oxidation on Rh/Al₂O₃ uncovered a nanoscale thermal-levering mechanism in which localised temperature spikes at individual nanoparticles drive bursts of CO₂ production via coupled oxidation and carbon combustion steps, highlighting the role of transient thermal events in sustaining oscillatory kinetics.

Catalytic Oscillation Phenomena in Oxidation Reactions publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in catalytic oscillation phenomena in oxidation reactions across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Operando spectroscopy: Real-time analytical techniques that monitor catalyst surface chemistry under reaction conditions.

Metastable oxygen species: Short-lived oxygen adsorbates on a catalyst surface that interconvert and affect activity.

Thermal-levering event: A localised transient temperature rise at the nanoscale that promotes reaction steps otherwise unfavourable.

Bifurcation: A qualitative change in a system’s dynamic behaviour (e.g. from steady state to oscillations) as parameters vary.

Poincaré plane: A method in dynamical systems to analyse periodic behaviour by capturing state variables at discrete intervals.

References

1. Metastable nickel–oxygen species modulate rate oscillations during dry reforming of methane. Nature Catalysis (2024).
2. Localized thermal levering events drive spontaneous kinetic oscillations during CO oxidation on Rh/Al2O3. Nature Catalysis (2024).
3. Correlated Operando Electron Microscopy and Photoemission Spectroscopy in Partial Oxidation of Ethylene over Nickel. ACS Catalysis (2024).
4. Study of Transition Zones in the Carbon Monoxide Catalytic Oxidation on Platinum Using the Network Simulation Method. Mathematics (2020).
5. Bursting oscillations and the bifurcation mechanism in oxidation on platinum group metals. Acta Physica Sinica (2012).