AbstractAn instrument equipped with total electron yield detectors was designed and constructed for in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) investigations in the soft X-ray range (100 eV ≤ hν ≤ 1000 eV) at elevated pressures (mbar range) and sample temperatures (T ≤ 1000 K) [1]. This allows, for the first time, XAS studies in a surface-sensitive mode of the light elements (Z = 3-15). Furthermore, the gas phase XAS and the surface-related XAS of the solid state phase can be collected simultaneously in order to correlate the gas/solid reaction rate with the surface electronic structure under working conditions in a flow-through mode.The novel experimental tool represents a contribution to the experimental overcoming of the “pressure gap” in material science. In this work examples are presented belonging to the field of heterogeneous catalysis [2-4] and to the reactivity of diamond surfaces [5]. Additionally, prospects for in situ studies in material science will be given.