Insights into Heterogeneous Catalysis by Tip‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Abstract

Abstract Heterogeneous catalysis is immensely important in the chemical industry. Understanding the molecular mechanism of heterogeneous catalytic processes is fundamental to the design of high‐performance catalysts and the development of energy conversion technology. Tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) provides invaluable topographic and chemical information with nanometer‐scale spatial resolution, thus making it a promising tool for the in‐depth characterization of heterogeneous catalytic processes. In this perspective, we first introduce the background of heterogeneous catalysis and TERS, and then we systematically discuss the application of TERS in heterogeneous catalysis. Key insights related to catalyst configurations, catalytically active sites, reacting species, spillover of active species, and structure‐reactivity relationship were summarized. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future development in the field.