Cover Feature: Elucidating the Sectioning Fragmentation Mechanism in Silica‐Supported Olefin Polymerization Catalysts with Laboratory‐Based X‐Ray and Electron Microscopy (ChemCatChem 21/2022)

The Cover Feature shows an artistic interpretation of a supported polymerization catalyst particle that is fragmenting during ethylene polymerization. In their Research Article, F. Meirer, B. M. Weckhuysen and co-workers used high resolution X-ray and electron microscopy to elucidate the origins of the sectioning fragmentation mechanism in two different silica-supported olefin polymerization catalysts at the single particle level. The occurrence of the sectioning fragmentation mechanism was shown to be favoured by a low degree of macroporosity in the silica granulates constituting the catalyst support, a high accessibility of the particle interior at reaction onset, as well as fast catalyst kinetics. More information can be found in the Research Article by F. Meirer, B. M. Weckhuysen and co-workers.