Article
Chemistry, Physical
Pratibha L. Gai, Edward D. Boyes
Summary: Real-time in situ visualization and analysis of gas-solid catalyst reactions are crucial for understanding the relationship between dynamic catalyst atomic structure and function. Single atom processes and reaction mechanisms are believed to be important in catalytic reactions, but are not well understood under extreme reaction conditions like gas and temperature.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Elizabeth Barsotti, Ziqiang Qin, Mohammad Piri
Summary: The flow of aqueous phases through porous media has a significant impact on shaping the world. Through the use of environmental transmission electron microscopy (ETEM), interactions between water and various types of porous media were visualized in real time, revealing insights into dissolution, recrystallization, and adsorption-induced strain. The study provides new observations of liquid adsorption films and adsorption-induced strain at the angstrom scale.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2021)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xi Jiang, Nitash P. Balsara
Summary: Electron microscopy has been essential in characterizing polymers, with recent developments allowing for atomic resolution imaging of polymer crystals and providing a comprehensive understanding of strategies towards high-resolution imaging of radiation-sensitive polymer materials at different length scales.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Manuel A. Roldan, Arnaud Mayence, Alberto Lopez-Ortega, Ryo Ishikawa, Juan Salafranca, Marta Estrader, German Salazar-Alvarez, M. Dolors Baro, Josep Nogues, Stephen J. Pennycook, Maria Varela
Summary: Hybrid nanoparticles offer the ability to leverage the interplay of confinement, proximity between different materials and interfacial effects, but understanding their (meta)stability and interfacial characteristics is crucial. In particular, this study highlights the importance of understanding the local dynamics responsible for changes in particle composition in order to control stability and macroscopic functionality.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mei Wang, Asher C. Leff, Yue Li, Taylor J. Woehl
Summary: This study successfully demonstrated the in situ controlled synthesis of alloyed AuCu nanocrystals under LP-TEM, while maintaining the molecular structure of metal thiolate complexes. The research revealed that polymer capping ligands not only have known functions during LP-TEM synthesis, but also prevent copper oxidation and facilitate the formation of prenucleation cluster intermediates.
Article
Physics, Applied
Masaki Takeguchi, Xiaoguang Li, Kazutaka Mitsuishi
Summary: The dynamics of Pt nanoparticles in water were observed by high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. At low dose rates, Pt nanoparticles with a diameter smaller than 2 nm exhibit slow motion, attachment, and detachment behavior. The increase in dose rate leads to particle aggregation and the formation of chain network structures.
JAPANESE JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
R. Podor, V Trillaud, G. I. Nkou Bouala, N. Dacheux, C. Ricolleau, N. Clavier
Summary: This study utilized two-grain model systems formed by ThO2 nanospheres to experimentally investigate the initial stage of sintering from room temperature to 1050 degrees C. The research revealed that at high temperatures, crystallites underwent reorganization and growth through oriented attachment, leading to the formation of a single crystal. The formation of the neck during sintering was predominantly driven by volume diffusion.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Teodora Andrian, Pietro Delcanale, Silvia Pujals, Lorenzo Albertazzi
Summary: The functionalization of nanoparticles with functional moieties is important for achieving cell targeting in nanomedicine. The correlation between size and ligand number in nanoparticles is crucial for understanding structure-activity relations. A new method combining super-resolution microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, called super-resCLEM, has been introduced to accurately measure these parameters and address the issue of heterogeneity in nanoparticle populations.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pavel K. Olshin, Gabriele Bongiovanni, Marcel Drabbels, Ulrich J. Lorenz
Summary: Atomic-resolution electron microscopy, coupled with fast electron cameras and microsecond electron pulse technology, enables real-time observations of atomic-scale dynamics on the microsecond time scale, revealing the crystallization pathways of individual metal nanoparticles and high-temperature transformation of perovskite nanocrystals.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kunmo Koo, Jungjae Park, Sanghyeon Ji, Saltanat Toleukhanova, Jong Min Yuk
Summary: The recent development of liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy, especially the novel liquid-flowing graphene chip TEM (LFGC-TEM), shows great potential in providing atomic resolution imaging for colloidal nanoparticles and molecular-level information for unstained wet biomolecules and cells. The robustness and capability of LFGC-TEM could lead to breakthroughs in live imaging of biological phenomena that are not currently achievable with existing methods.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Microscopy
Luis Rangel DaCosta, G. Hamish Brown, M. Philipp Pelz, Alexander Rakowski, Natolya Barber, Peter O'Donovan, Patrick McBean, Lewys Jones, Jim Ciston, M. C. Scott, Colin Ophus
Summary: Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is a powerful tool for materials characterization, and with the widespread adoption of hardware aberration correction, direct electron detectors, and computational imaging methods, it has become one of the most important tools for atomic-resolution materials science. Many imaging methods rely on accurate imaging and diffraction simulations to interpret experimental results, but STEM simulations typically require large calculation times.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jin-Hu Dou, Maxx Q. Arguilla, Yi Luo, Jian Li, Weizhe Zhang, Lei Sun, Jenna L. Mancuso, Luming Yang, Tianyang Chen, Lucas R. Parent, Grigorii Skorupskii, Nicole J. Libretto, Chenyue Sun, Min Chieh Yang, Phat Vinh Dip, Edward J. Brignole, Jeffrey T. Miller, Jing Kong, Christopher H. Hendon, Junliang Sun, Mircea Dinca
Summary: Researchers have successfully grown single crystals of 2D metal-organic frameworks up to 200 µm in size by balancing in-plane and out-of-plane interactions, revealing anisotropic transport and a clear correlation between conductivity and the nature of the metal cation in the sheets.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Olivier De Castro, Jean-Nicolas Audinot, Hung Quang Hoang, Cherif Coulbary, Olivier Bouton, Rachid Barrahma, Alexander Ost, Charlotte Stoffels, Chengge Jiao, Mikhail Dutka, Michal Geryk, Tom Wirtz
Summary: The article introduces the use of magnetic sector secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) on a widely used instrument, focused ion beam (FIB)-scanning electron microscopy (SEM), for nanoscale investigations. It provides a detailed description of the instrument's layout and performance, as well as the research results obtained in various fields. The system demonstrates versatile capability for high-performance correlative studies in materials science and life sciences.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zheng Liu, Hitomi Nakamura, Tomoko Akai
Summary: This paper presents an in situ TEM/STEM investigation on the transformation process of YAG:Ce phosphors, revealing the dissolution of nanocrystalline CeO2 particles and formation of YAlO3 and YAG:Ce crystalline particles at different temperatures. The study also confirms that doped Ce atoms occupy the same atomic sites as Y atoms, and the obtained YAG:Ce phosphor exhibits efficient luminescent properties.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kai Chen, Lefu Zhang, Zhao Shen, Xiaoqin Zeng
Summary: This study investigated the characteristics and formation mechanisms of the surface oxide scale of 310S stainless steel exposed to 650℃ supercritical water for 1000 hours.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Selina Beatrice van Der Meer, Theresa Seiler, Christin Buchmann, Georgia Partalidou, Sophia Boden, Kateryna Loza, Marc Heggen, Jurgen Linders, Oleg Prymak, Cristiano L. P. Oliveira, Laura Hartmann, Matthias Epple
Summary: The study demonstrates that precision macromolecules carrying cysteine can effectively surface functionalize ultrasmall gold nanoparticles, with each nanoparticle carrying between 40 and 100 ligands and each ligand having a footprint of about 0.074 nm². Additionally, the presence of a PEG chain in the ligands significantly increases the hydrodynamic diameter of both dissolved macromolecules and macromolecule-conjugated gold nanoparticles.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tatjana Ruks, Kateryna Loza, Marc Heggen, Christian Ottmann, Peter Bayer, Christine Beuck, Matthias Epple
Summary: The study showed that CRaf-conjugated gold nanoparticles have high binding ability with the protein 14-3-3 and can be effectively taken up by HeLa cells. This opens up new possibilities for targeting proteins inside cells.
Article
Electrochemistry
Daniel Jalalpoor, Daniel Goehl, Paul Paciok, Marc Heggen, Johannes Knossalla, Ivan Radev, Volker Peinecke, Claudia Weidenthaler, Karl J. J. Mayrhofer, Marc Ledendecker, Ferdi Schueth
Summary: The study shows that the interaction between platinum nanoparticles supported on antimony-doped tin oxide affects the catalytic performance of platinum, reducing the accessible surface area of platinum.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Maged F. Bekheet, Parastoo Delir Kheyrollahi Nezhad, Nicolas Bonmassar, Lukas Schlicker, Albert Gili, Sebastian Praetz, Aleksander Gurlo, Andrew Doran, Yuanxu Gao, Marc Heggen, Aligholi Niaei, Ali Farzi, Sabine Schwarz, Johannes Bernardi, Bernhard Kloetzer, Simon Penner
Summary: The study evaluated the influence of A- and/or B-site doping on the crystal structure, stability, and dry reforming of methane reactivity in Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite materials, with a focus on La2NiO4 doped with Cu and Ba. The findings revealed the structural transformations and active phase formation at different temperatures, providing insights into the development of DRM-active catalysts. It was demonstrated that controlling the Ni particle size and introducing Cu-doping on the B-site can improve the catalytic activity in dry reforming reactions.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Parastoo Delir Kheyrollahi Nezhad, Maged F. Bekheet, Nicolas Bonmassar, Lukas Schlicker, Albert Gili, Franz Kamutzki, Aleksander Gurlo, Andrew Doran, Yuanxu Gao, Marc Heggen, Sabine Schwarz, Johannes Bernardi, Aligholi Niaei, Ali Farzi, Bernhard Klotzer, Simon Penner
Summary: This study focuses on the stability and structural properties of La2NiO4 and its impact on dry reforming of methane (DRM) activity. It shows that La2NiO4 can decompose into a Ni/La2O3 phase providing necessary CO2 capture and release for DRM, though at higher temperatures compared to LaNiO3. The decomposition products cause coking and encapsulation of exsolved Ni during DRM operation, resulting in much smaller Ni crystallites.
APPLIED CATALYSIS A-GENERAL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nuria J. Divins, David Kordus, Janis Timoshenko, Ilya Sinev, Ioannis Zegkinoglou, Arno Bergmann, See Wee Chee, Simon Widrinna, Osman Karslioglu, Hemma Mistry, Mauricio Lopez Luna, Jian Qiang Zhong, Adam S. Hoffman, Alexey Boubnov, J. Anibal Boscoboinik, Marc Heggen, Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski, Simon R. Bare, Beatriz Roldan Cuenya
Summary: The study found that Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 and CuZn/SiO2 exhibit similar activity and methanol selectivity, but the methanol yield decreases with time on stream for the latter sample. X-ray absorption spectroscopy data during operation show the formation of a ZnO-rich shell on CuZn/SiO2, indicating the beneficial effect of even diluted Zn.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marc Ledendecker, Paul Paciok, Wojciech T. Osowiecki, Marc Pander, Marc Heggen, Daniel Goehl, Gaurav A. Kamat, Andreas Erbe, Karl J. J. Mayrhofer, A. Paul Alivisatos
Summary: Core-shell particles with thin noble metal shells have potential for various applications, but the synthesis of well-defined core-shell architectures remains highly challenging. In this study, the authors demonstrate the growth of atomically-thin and homogeneous platinum shells on different gold nanostructures using a colloidal synthesis method.
COMMUNICATIONS CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Electrochemistry
Ezra S. Koh, Simon Geiger, Alexander Gunnarson, Timo Imhof, Gregor M. Meyer, Paul Paciok, Bastian J. M. Etzold, Marcus Rose, Ferdi Schueth, Marc Ledendecker
Summary: In this study, the stabilizing effect of three different carbon supports on the structure and selectivity of copper catalysts for CO2 reduction was investigated. The use of confined space for supporting particles was shown to enhance the stability of the catalyst and prevent particle agglomeration under harsh electrochemical conditions. This research provides important insights into the design of stable CO2 electrocatalysts with potential applications in various fields.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Marc Heggen, Michael Feuerbacher, Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski
Summary: Metadislocations, novel defects in complex metallic alloys, have been observed on the atomic scale in the T-Al-Mn-Fe phase using in-situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Their motion is characterized by discrete jumps between low-energy configurations and a mixed glide/climb process.
MATERIALS RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kun Zhang, Qiang Guo, Yehong Wang, Pengfei Cao, Jian Zhang, Marc Heggen, Joachim Mayer, Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski, Feng Wang
Summary: In this work, selective ethylene carbonylation to 3-pentanone was achieved using in situ produced hydrogen via a water-gas shift (WGS) reaction on a defective ceria-supported Rh catalyst. The interface of Rh/CeO2 activates water, CO, and ethylene, facilitating the WGS reaction and ethylene carbonylation. A redox pathway for the WGS reaction was proposed based on in situ FTIR results, and water was confirmed as the hydrogen source for ethylene carbonylation through mass spectrometry (MS) study.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Marko Malinovic, Paul Paciok, Ezra Shanli Koh, Moritz Geuss, Jisik Choi, Philipp Pfeifer, Jan Philipp Hofmann, Daniel Goehl, Marc Heggen, Serhiy Cherevko, Marc Ledendecker
Summary: In this study, a precise control over the size of structurally ordered iridium oxide nanoparticles is achieved during high-temperature thermal treatment by utilizing a silica nanoreactor as a hard template. This approach maintains high durability while avoiding the common problem of reduced surface area and altered particle morphology.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Katherine E. MacArthur, Shlomi Polani, Malte Klingenhof, Nina Gumbiowski, Tim Moller, Paul Paciok, Jiaqi Kang, Matthias Epple, Shibabrata Basak, Ruediger-A. Eichel, Peter Strasser, Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski, Marc Heggen
Summary: This study provides a detailed characterization of the morphological and compositional changes of octahedral-shaped PtNi catalysts and doped octahedral PtNi-(Mo) and PtNi-(MoRh) catalysts during thermal annealing. The results show that the octahedral shape of PtNi catalysts gradually changes and undergoes alloying upon heating. However, doping with Mo or Mo/Rh stabilizes the structure and maintains a truncated octahedral shape during heat treatments.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kun Zhang, Qiang Guo, Yehong Wang, Pengfei Cao, Jian Zhang, Marc Heggen, Joachim Mayer, Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski, Feng Wang
Summary: In this study, selective ethylene carbonylation to 3-pentanone was achieved using in situ produced hydrogen via a water-gas shift reaction. The interface of Rh/CeO2 activates water, CO, and ethylene and promotes subsequent reactions, including the water-gas shift reaction and ethylene carbonylation. The hydrogen generated from the water-gas shift reaction suppresses hydrogenation and promotes ethylation.