Pseudotime uncovers restructuring dynamics and mitigators of metal catalyst deactivation.

Authors

Wenhao Yuan, Zhilong Wang, Fengqi You

Published in

Science advances. Volume 12. Issue 38. Pages eaej0852. Sep 18, 2026. Epub Sep 16, 2026.

Abstract

Structural reconstruction is a major cause of heterogeneous catalyst deactivation, yet elucidating the restructuring mechanism remains difficult due to underresolved dynamics. Here, by introducing pseudotime, we recover dynamics and identify the key determinant of nanoparticle sintering from ex situ electron microscopy alone, beyond the general view that postmortem observations provide only end-state structures. Pseudotemporal ordering of SiN_x-supported gold across asynchronous aging states reveals that interparticle distance controls stability against migration and coalescence, with a well-defined threshold quantified. In situ gas cell tracking validated this threshold with only a 2-angstrom deviation and confirmed markedly suppressed particle mobility beyond it, allowing sintering prediction with 92% accuracy, thereby establishing proximity as a quantitative handle for improving sinter resistance. The proximity effect resolved here illustrates pseudotime as a new lens for understanding time-resolved phenomena in catalysis, opening the possibility of probing the restructuring dynamics beyond in situ or operando characterizations.

PMID:
42748227
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 17 Sep 2026.

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