1. Could you explain the significance of your article to the non-specialist?

We all have first hand experience of the benefits of microwave heating in comparison to conventional ovens but when the object being heated is a complex, composite material, such as a supported-metal, heterogeneous catalyst, the results are less predictable. Superheating and irreversible modification of the metal particles have been reported in certain instances but negligible effects in others. The new reactor described here offers, for the first time, the chance to directly follow the consequences of microwave heating on the catalyst in situ during reaction, simultaneously following the activity by mass spectrometry and monitoring the adsorbed species by transmission infrared spectroscopy

2. What has motivated you to conduct this work?

I've been working in the area of situ infrared methods for studies of
catalysis for years and tend to be more interested in developing the method
than routinely applying it. It is nice to develop a new toy and I hope people
will have fun with it.