Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Tiqing Zhao, Youhong Jiang, Shiwen Luo, Yifan Ying, Qian Zhang, Shi Tang, Linzhi Chen, Jing Xia, Peng Xue, Jia-Jun Zhang, Shi-Gang Sun, Hong-Gang Liao
Summary: The study focuses on the catalysis reaction mechanism at the nano/atomic scale and the limitations of current in situ characterization technologies. By combining in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) holder system with MEMS chips, an ultra-stable heating chip is developed to achieve atomic resolution imaging during the heating process at high temperature. The developed gas reaction cells with ultra-low drift enable the identification of nanoparticle's structure evolution at the atomic scale.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Haofei Zhao, Yuchen Zhu, Huanyu Ye, Yang He, Hao Li, Yifei Sun, Feng Yang, Rongming Wang
Summary: Nanocrystals play a crucial role in material sciences and industry. Designing nanocrystals with desired structures and properties is a major challenge that requires a deep understanding of atomic-scale dynamics. In situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), especially environmental TEM, has provided valuable insights into nanocrystals. This comprehensive review highlights the progress in the understanding of nanocrystal dynamics, including nucleation and growth, structure evolution, and dynamics in reaction conditions.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Penghui Li, Yeqiang Bu, Linyan Wang, Chong Wang, Junquan Huang, Ke Tong, Yujun Chen, Julong He, Zhisheng Zhao, Bo Xu, Zhongyuan Liu, Guoying Gao, Anmin Nie, Hongtao Wang, Yongjun Tian
Summary: Fracture behaviors in perfect and twinned B4C crystals were studied via in situ TEM mechanical testing. It was found that cracks preferentially initiated at the twin boundaries (TBs) and propagated along them, resulting in the fracture of B4C. The theoretical calculations also showed a softening effect of TBs on B4C, with amorphous bands preferentially nucleated at the TBs. These findings clarify the atomic arrangement and the role of planar defects in the failure of B4C.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wentao Yuan, Beien Zhu, Ke Fang, Xiao-Yan Li, Thomas W. Hansen, Yang Ou, Hangsheng Yang, Jakob B. Wagner, Yi Gao, Yong Wang, Ze Zhang
Summary: The interface between metal catalyst and support is critical in heterogeneous catalysis. The study found that the atomic structure of the Au-TiO2 interface depends on the epitaxial rotation of gold nanoparticles on a TiO2 surface during CO oxidation. Manipulation of the active Au-TiO2 interface was achieved in situ by changing gas and temperature, suggesting real-time design of catalytic interface in operating conditions may be possible.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ryo Ishikawa, Yujiro Ueno, Yuichi Ikuhara, Naoya Shibata
Summary: This study reveals the formation of chemically ordered intermetallic nanoparticles and impregnation of nanoparticles into the oxide substrate at high temperatures. Negative charge transfer from the intermetallic nanoparticles to the oxide surface is observed and found to strongly affect the catalytic activities.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Han-Wen Cheng, Shan Wang, Guanyu Chen, Zhengwang Liu, Dominic Caracciolo, Merry Madiou, Shiyao Shan, Jincang Zhang, Heyong He, Renchao Che, Chuan-Jian Zhong
Summary: This review emphasizes the latest insights into heterogeneous catalysts under relevant reaction conditions using in situ/operando transmission electron microscopic techniques. By discussing atomic-scale and nanoscale details, it highlights the challenges and opportunities in terms of catalytic properties and design applications.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fang Liu, Jiashen Meng, Hong Wang, Shulin Chen, Ruohan Yu, Peng Gao, Jinsong Wu
Summary: This study reveals the phase transformations and electrochemical mechanism of tellurium (Te) in potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) using in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The results show that the potassium storage in Te is highly reversible, providing implications for the future design of high-performance nanostructured cathodes for PIBs.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hui Zhang, Tao Xu, Yatong Zhu, Wen Wang, Hao Zhang, Dundong Yuan, Litao Sun
Summary: The study revealed oscillatory growth during the oxidation process of silver, influenced by both thermodynamic and kinetic factors. These findings enhance the fundamental understanding of oxidation processes and offer a promising method for the fabrication of desired nanostructures.
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
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Junyan Li, Alvaro Mayoral, Yoshihiro Kubota, Satoshi Inagaki, Jihong Yu, Osamu Terasaki
Summary: Incorporating hetero-metal atoms into zeolite structures can enhance catalytic activity and selectivity in oxidation reactions. However, the rational design of zeolites with specific titanium sites is challenging due to the unclear atomic structure during synthesis. This study successfully synthesized a titanosilicate with predictable titanium distribution by mediating vacancies in a defective MSE-type zeolite precursor.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Xin Chen, Liyi Tan, Siyu Cheng, Yang Liu, Mengqin Zhu
Summary: This paper presents a real-time high-resolution and comprehensive characterization of Au nanoparticles and nanoparticle clusters using in situ liquid cell scanning electron microscopy (LC-SEM). The technique allows for the visualization of the chemical element distributions, particle stacking structure, and the distribution of molecules on the particle surfaces. Furthermore, liquid droplet growth and particle motions are observed.
MICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Huaping Sheng, Long Zhang, Haifeng Zhang, Jianbo Wang, Juergen Eckert, Christoph Gammer
Summary: The transformation-induced plasticity is a fundamental solution for improving the ductility of bulk metallic glass composites (BMGCs). The transformation redistributes the stress in the adjacent matrix, making interfacial regions potential preferential sites for shear band nucleation, which then enhance the ductility of BMGCs.
MATERIALS RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Luis A. Arce-Saldana, Uriel Caudillo-Flores, Rocio Sayago-Carro, Gerardo Soto-Herrera, Marcos Fernandez-Garcia, Anna Kubacka
Summary: This research analyzed the impact of adding zirconium oxide to titanium oxide-supported gold systems on photocatalytic hydrogen production. The highest activity was achieved with a 1.75 mol.% zirconium oxide, showing a quantum efficiency close to 1.9% under sunlight, which was over two orders of magnitude improvement compared to the original titanium system. The addition of zirconium influenced the recombination of charge carriers and boosted photoactivity through the interaction between gold and zirconium.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yizhong Guo, Jiao Teng, Guo Yang, Ang Li, Yao Deng, Chengpeng Yang, Lihua Wang, Xin Yan, Ze Zhang, Xiaoyan Li, En Ma, Xiaodong Han
Summary: Detailed monitoring of atomic-scale processes is crucial for understanding grain rotation in nanocrystalline metals. In this study, in situ atomic-resolution evidence reveals that the type of grain boundary plays a role in the atomic processes involved in grain rotation in nanocrystalline Pt. General GBs exhibit a combination of dislocation activities and atomic rearrangements, while tilt GBs mostly rely on dislocation activities. GB dislocation climb, glide, and reaction are often associated with Lomer-like dislocation formation and destruction.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hajime Hojo, Miki Gondo, Satoru Yoshizaki, Hisahiro Einaga
Summary: The study found that model Pt/TiO2 catalysts formed Ti3+ and Pt delta+ states after inducing catalytic activity through postdeposition treatment, highlighting the significance of understanding the metal-support interactions in supported metal catalysts.
