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Koo K, Ribet SM, Zhang C, Smeets PJM, Dos Reis R, Hu X, Dravid VP. Effects of the Encapsulation Membrane in Operando Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy. NANO LETTERS 2022; 22:4137-4144. [PMID: 35523204 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c00893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nanoscale tailoring of catalytic materials and Li-battery alternatives has elevated the importance of in situ gas-phase electron microscopy. Such advanced techniques are often performed using an environmental cell inserted into a conventional S/TEM setup, as this method facilitates concurrent electrochemical and temperature stimulations in a convenient and cost-effective manner. However, these cells are made by encapsulating gas between two insulating membranes, which introduces additional electron scattering. We have evaluated strengths and limitations of the gas-phase E-cell S/TEM technique, both experimentally and through simulations, across a variety of practical parameters. We reveal the degradation of image quality in an E-cell setup from various components and explore opportunities to improve imaging quality through intelligent choice of experimental parameters. Our results underscore the benefits of using an E-cell STEM technique, due to its versatility and excellent ability to suppress the exotic contributions from the membrane device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunmo Koo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- The NUANCE Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Stephanie M Ribet
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- International Institute of Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Paul J M Smeets
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- The NUANCE Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Roberto Dos Reis
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- The NUANCE Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- International Institute of Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Xiaobing Hu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- The NUANCE Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Vinayak P Dravid
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- The NUANCE Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- International Institute of Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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MacArthur KE, Clement A, Heggen M, Dunin-Borkowski RE. Combining quantitative ADF STEM with SiN x membrane-based MEMS devices: A simulation study with Pt nanoparticles. Ultramicroscopy 2021; 231:113270. [PMID: 33888359 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2021.113270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Computer simulations are used to assess the influence of a 20-nm-thick SiNx membrane on the quantification of atomic-resolution annular dark-field (ADF) scanning transmission electron microscopy images of Pt nanoparticles. The discussions include the effect of different nanoparticle/membrane arrangements, accelerating voltage, nanoparticle thickness and the presence of adjacent atomic columns on the accuracy with which the number of Pt atoms in each atom column can be counted. The results, which are based on the use of ADF scattering cross-sections, show that an accuracy of better than a single atom is attainable at 200 and 300 kV. At 80kV, the scattering in a typical SiNx membrane is sufficiently strong that the best possible atom counting accuracy is reduced to +/- 2 atoms. The implications of the work for quantitative studies of Pt nanoparticles imaged through SiNx membranes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E MacArthur
- Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons and Peter Grünberg Institute, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
| | - Antoine Clement
- Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons and Peter Grünberg Institute, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Nancy, Campus Artem, BP 14234, 92 rue du Sergent Blandan, 54042 Nancy cedex, France
| | - Marc Heggen
- Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons and Peter Grünberg Institute, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Rafal E Dunin-Borkowski
- Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons and Peter Grünberg Institute, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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Schneemann A, White JL, Kang S, Jeong S, Wan LF, Cho ES, Heo TW, Prendergast D, Urban JJ, Wood BC, Allendorf MD, Stavila V. Nanostructured Metal Hydrides for Hydrogen Storage. Chem Rev 2018; 118:10775-10839. [PMID: 30277071 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge and foundational understanding of phenomena associated with the behavior of materials at the nanoscale is one of the key scientific challenges toward a sustainable energy future. Size reduction from bulk to the nanoscale leads to a variety of exciting and anomalous phenomena due to enhanced surface-to-volume ratio, reduced transport length, and tunable nanointerfaces. Nanostructured metal hydrides are an important class of materials with significant potential for energy storage applications. Hydrogen storage in nanoscale metal hydrides has been recognized as a potentially transformative technology, and the field is now growing steadily due to the ability to tune the material properties more independently and drastically compared to those of their bulk counterparts. The numerous advantages of nanostructured metal hydrides compared to bulk include improved reversibility, altered heats of hydrogen absorption/desorption, nanointerfacial reaction pathways with faster rates, and new surface states capable of activating chemical bonds. This review aims to summarize the progress to date in the area of nanostructured metal hydrides and intends to understand and explain the underpinnings of the innovative concepts and strategies developed over the past decade to tune the thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogen storage reactions. These recent achievements have the potential to propel further the prospects of tuning the hydride properties at nanoscale, with several promising directions and strategies that could lead to the next generation of solid-state materials for hydrogen storage applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Schneemann
- Sandia National Laboratories , Livermore , California 94551 , United States
| | - James L White
- Sandia National Laboratories , Livermore , California 94551 , United States
| | - ShinYoung Kang
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , Livermore , California 94550 , United States
| | - Sohee Jeong
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
| | - Liwen F Wan
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , Livermore , California 94550 , United States
| | - Eun Seon Cho
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) , Daejeon 34141 , Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Wook Heo
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , Livermore , California 94550 , United States
| | - David Prendergast
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
| | - Jeffrey J Urban
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
| | - Brandon C Wood
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , Livermore , California 94550 , United States
| | - Mark D Allendorf
- Sandia National Laboratories , Livermore , California 94551 , United States
| | - Vitalie Stavila
- Sandia National Laboratories , Livermore , California 94551 , United States
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