1
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Gao Z, Appel C, Holler M, Jeschonek K, Brunnengräber K, Etzold BJM, Kronenberg M, Stampanoni M, Ihli J, Guizar-Sicairos M. Dynamic sparse x-ray nanotomography reveals ionomer hydration mechanism in polymer electrolyte fuel-cell catalyst. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadp3346. [PMID: 39383223 PMCID: PMC11463282 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adp3346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 10/11/2024]
Abstract
Tomographic imaging of time-evolving samples is a challenging yet important task for various research fields. At the nanoscale, current approaches face limitations of measurement speed or resolution due to lengthy acquisitions. We developed a dynamic nanotomography technique based on sparse dynamic imaging and 4D tomography modeling. We demonstrated the technique, using ptychographic x-ray computed tomography as its imaging modality, on resolving the in situ hydration process of polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) catalyst. The technique provides a 40-time increase in temporal resolution compared to conventional approaches, yielding 28 nm half-period spatial and 12 min temporal resolution. The results allow a quantitative characterization of the water intake process inside PEFC catalysts with nanoscale resolution, which is crucial for understanding their electrochemical mechanisms and optimizing their performance. Our technique enables high-speed operando nanotomography studies and paves the way for wider application of dynamic tomography at the nanoscale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zirui Gao
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
- ETH and University of Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973-5000, USA
| | | | - Mirko Holler
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Bastian J. M. Etzold
- Technical University of Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 90762 Fürth, Germany
| | - Michal Kronenberg
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
- Carl Zeiss SMT, 73447 Oberkochen, Germany
| | - Marco Stampanoni
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
- ETH and University of Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Ihli
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
- University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2JD, UK
| | - Manuel Guizar-Sicairos
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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2
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Kulow A, Pérez J, Boudjehem R, Gautier E, Pairis S, Ould-Chikh S, Hazemann JL, da Silva JC. First X-ray spectral ptychography and resonant ptychographic computed tomography experiments at the SWING beamline from Synchrotron SOLEIL. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2024; 31:867-876. [PMID: 38771779 PMCID: PMC11226156 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577524003229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
X-ray ptychography and ptychographic computed tomography have seen a rapid rise since the advent of fourth-generation synchrotrons with a high degree of coherent radiation. In addition to quantitative multiscale structural analysis, ptychography with spectral capabilities has been developed, allowing for spatial-localized multiscale structural and spectral information of samples. The SWING beamline of Synchrotron SOLEIL has recently developed a nanoprobe setup where the endstation's first spectral and resonant ptychographic measurements have been successfully conducted. A metallic nickel wire sample was measured using 2D spectral ptychography in XANES mode and resonant ptychographic tomography. From the 2D spectral ptychography measurements, the spectra of the components of the sample's complex-valued refractive index, δ and β, were extracted, integrated along the sample thickness. By performing resonance ptychographic tomography at two photon energies, 3D maps of the refractive index decrement, δ, were obtained at the Ni K-edge energy and another energy above the edge. These maps allowed the detection of impurities in the Ni wire. The significance of accounting for the atomic scattering factor is demonstrated in the calculation of electron density near a resonance through the use of the δ values. These results indicate that at the SWING beamline it is possible to conduct state-of-the-art spectral and resonant ptychography experiments using the nanoprobe setup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anico Kulow
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Institut Néel, 25 Avenue des Martyrs, BP 166, 38042Grenoble, France
| | - Javier Pérez
- Synchrotron SoleilL’Orme des Merisiers, Départementale 12891190Saint-AubinFrance
| | - Redhouane Boudjehem
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Institut Néel, 25 Avenue des Martyrs, BP 166, 38042Grenoble, France
| | - Eric Gautier
- SPINTEC, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, 17 Rue des Martyrs, 38054Grenoble, France
| | - Sébastien Pairis
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Institut Néel, 25 Avenue des Martyrs, BP 166, 38042Grenoble, France
| | | | - Jean-Louis Hazemann
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Institut Néel, 25 Avenue des Martyrs, BP 166, 38042Grenoble, France
| | - Julio César da Silva
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Institut Néel, 25 Avenue des Martyrs, BP 166, 38042Grenoble, France
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3
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Szyszkiewicz-Warzecha K, Stec J, Deja J, Łagosz A, Górska A, Kutukova K, Zschech E, Filipek R. 3D Multi-Ion Corrosion Model in Hierarchically Structured Cementitious Materials Obtained from Nano-XCT Data. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:5094. [PMID: 37512370 PMCID: PMC10385594 DOI: 10.3390/ma16145094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Corrosion of steel reinforcements in concrete constructions is a worldwide problem. To assess the degradation of rebars in reinforced concrete, an accurate description of electric current, potential and concentrations of various species present in the concrete matrix is necessary. Although the concrete matrix is a heterogeneous porous material with intricate microstructure, mass transport has been treated in a homogeneous material so far, modifying bulk transport coefficients by additional factors (porosity, constrictivity, tortuosity), which led to so-called effective coefficients (e.g., diffusivity). This study presents an approach where the real 3D microstructure of concrete is obtained from high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (XCT), processed to generate a mesh for finite element method (FEM) computations, and finally combined with a multi-species system of transport and electric potential equations. This methodology allows for a more realistic description of ion movements and reactions in the bulk concrete and on the rebar surface and, consequently, a better evaluation of anodic and cathodic currents, ultimately responsible for the loss of reinforcement mass and its location. The results of this study are compared with a state-of-the-art model and numerical calculations for 2D and 3D geometries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jakub Stec
- Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH-University of Krakow, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
| | - Jan Deja
- Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH-University of Krakow, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
| | - Artur Łagosz
- Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH-University of Krakow, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
| | - Anna Górska
- Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH-University of Krakow, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Ehrenfried Zschech
- deepXscan GmbH, Zeppelinstr. 1, 01324 Dresden, Germany
- Research Area Nanomaterials, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Platz der Deutschen Einheit 1, 03046 Cottbus, Germany
| | - Robert Filipek
- Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH-University of Krakow, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
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4
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Shirani S, Cuesta A, Morales-Cantero A, Santacruz I, Diaz A, Trtik P, Holler M, Rack A, Lukic B, Brun E, Salcedo IR, Aranda MAG. 4D nanoimaging of early age cement hydration. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2652. [PMID: 37156776 PMCID: PMC10167225 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38380-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite a century of research, our understanding of cement dissolution and precipitation processes at early ages is very limited. This is due to the lack of methods that can image these processes with enough spatial resolution, contrast and field of view. Here, we adapt near-field ptychographic nanotomography to in situ visualise the hydration of commercial Portland cement in a record-thick capillary. At 19 h, porous C-S-H gel shell, thickness of 500 nm, covers every alite grain enclosing a water gap. The spatial dissolution rate of small alite grains in the acceleration period, ∼100 nm/h, is approximately four times faster than that of large alite grains in the deceleration stage, ∼25 nm/h. Etch-pit development has also been mapped out. This work is complemented by laboratory and synchrotron microtomographies, allowing to measure the particle size distributions with time. 4D nanoimaging will allow mechanistically study dissolution-precipitation processes including the roles of accelerators and superplasticizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiva Shirani
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Universidad de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain
| | - Ana Cuesta
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Universidad de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain
| | - Alejandro Morales-Cantero
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Universidad de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain
| | - Isabel Santacruz
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Universidad de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain
| | - Ana Diaz
- Laboratory for Macromolecules and Bioimaging, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Pavel Trtik
- Laboratory for Neutron Scattering and Imaging, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Mirko Holler
- Laboratory for Macromolecules and Bioimaging, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Rack
- ESRF-The European Synchrotron, 71 Rue des Martyrs, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Bratislav Lukic
- ESRF-The European Synchrotron, 71 Rue des Martyrs, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Emmanuel Brun
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm UA7 STROBE, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Inés R Salcedo
- Servicios Centrales de Apoyo a la Investigación, Universidad de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain
| | - Miguel A G Aranda
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Universidad de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain.
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5
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Understanding the microstructure of a core-shell anode catalyst layer for polymer electrolyte water electrolysis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4280. [PMID: 36922565 PMCID: PMC10017760 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30960-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Reducing precious metal loading in the anodic catalyst layer (CL) is indispensable for lowering capital costs and enabling the widespread adoption of polymer electrolyte water electrolysis. This work presents the first three-dimensional reconstruction of a TiO2-supported IrO2 based core shell CL (3 mgIrO2/cm2), using high-resolution X-ray ptychographic tomography at cryogenic temperature of 90 K. The high data quality and phase sensitivity of the technique have allowed the reconstruction of all four phases namely pore space, IrO2, TiO2 support matrix and the ionomer network, the latter of which has proven to be a challenge in the past. Results show that the IrO2 forms thin nanoporous shells around the TiO2 particles and that the ionomer has a non-uniform thickness and partially covers the catalyst. The TiO2 particles do not form a percolating network while all other phases have high connectivity. The analysis of the CL ionic and electronic conductivity shows that for a dry CL, the ionic conductivity is orders of magnitudes lower than the electronic conductivity. Varying the electronic conductivity of the support phase by simulations, reveals that the conductivity of the support does not have a considerable impact on the overall CL electrical conductivity.
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6
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Liberto T, Nenning A, Bellotto M, Dalconi MC, Dworschak D, Kalchgruber L, Robisson A, Valtiner M, Dziadkowiec J. Detecting Early-Stage Cohesion Due to Calcium Silicate Hydration with Rheology and Surface Force Apparatus. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:14988-15000. [PMID: 36426749 PMCID: PMC9730907 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Extremely robust cohesion triggered by calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) precipitation during cement hardening makes concrete one of the most commonly used man-made materials. Here, in this proof-of-concept study, we seek an additional nanoscale understanding of early-stage cohesive forces acting between hydrating model tricalcium silicate (C3S) surfaces by combining rheological and surface force measurements. We first used time-resolved small oscillatory rheology measurements (SAOSs) to characterize the early-stage evolution of the cohesive properties of a C3S paste and a C-S-H gel. SAOS revealed the reactive and viscoelastic nature of C3S pastes, in contrast with the nonreactive but still viscoelastic nature of the C-S-H gel, which proves a temporal variation in the cohesion during microstructural physicochemical rearrangements in the C3S paste. We further prepared thin films of C3S by plasma laser deposition (PLD) and demonstrated that these films are suitable for force measurements in the surface force apparatus (SFA). We measured surface forces acting between two thin C3S films exposed to water and subsequent in situ calcium silicate hydrate precipitation. With the SFA and SFA-coupled interferometric measurements, we resolved that C3S surface reprecipitation in water was associated with both increasing film thickness and progressively stronger adhesion (pull-off force). The lasting adhesion developing between the growing surfaces depended on the applied load, pull-off rate, and time in contact. These properties indicated the viscoelastic character of the soft, gel-like reprecipitated layer, pointing to the formation of C-S-H. Our findings confirm the strong cohesive properties of hydrated calcium silicate surfaces that, based on our preliminary SFA measurements, are attributed to sharp changes in the surface microstructure. In contact with water, the brittle and rough C3S surfaces with little contact area weather into soft, gel-like C-S-H nanoparticles with a much larger surface area available for forming direct contacts between interacting surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Liberto
- Institute
of Materials Technology, Building Physics and Construction Ecology,
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Vienna University
of Technology, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Nenning
- Institute
of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Vienna Institute of Technology, 1060 Wien, Austria
| | | | - Maria Chiara Dalconi
- Department
of Geoscience and CIRCe Center, University
of Padua, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Dominik Dworschak
- Institute
of Applied Physics, Vienna Institute of
Technology, 1040 Wien, Austria
| | - Lukas Kalchgruber
- Institute
of Applied Physics, Vienna Institute of
Technology, 1040 Wien, Austria
| | - Agathe Robisson
- Institute
of Materials Technology, Building Physics and Construction Ecology,
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Vienna University
of Technology, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Valtiner
- Institute
of Applied Physics, Vienna Institute of
Technology, 1040 Wien, Austria
| | - Joanna Dziadkowiec
- Institute
of Applied Physics, Vienna Institute of
Technology, 1040 Wien, Austria
- NJORD Centre,
Department of Physics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1048, Oslo 0316, Norway
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7
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Loh HC, Kim HJ, Ulm FJ, Masic A. Time-Space-Resolved Chemical Deconvolution of Cementitious Colloidal Systems Using Raman Spectroscopy. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:7019-7031. [PMID: 34096309 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c00609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Concrete is one of the most used materials in the world, second only to water. One of the key advantages of this versatile material is its workability in the early stages before setting. Here, we use in situ underwater Raman microspectroscopy to investigate and visualize the early hydration kinetics of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with submicron spatial and high temporal resolution. First, the spectral features of the C-S-H gel were analyzed in the hydroxyl stretching region to confirm the coexistence of Ca-OH and Si-OH bonds in a highly disordered C-S-H gel. Second, the disordered calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) is experimentally identified for the first time in the mixture before setting, suggesting that Ca(OH)2 crystallization and growth are essential in the setting of cement paste. Finally, the phase transformations of clinker, C-S-H, and Ca(OH)2 are spatially and temporally resolved, and the hydration kinetics are studied by analyzing the spatial relationships of these phases using two-point correlation functions. The results quantitatively validate that the setting occurs as a percolation process, wherein the hydration products intersect and form an interconnected network. This time-space-resolved characterization method can map and quantitatively analyze the heterogeneous reaction of the cementitious colloidal system and thus provide potential application value in the field of cement chemistry and materials design more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Chae Loh
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Hee-Jeong Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Franz-Josef Ulm
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Admir Masic
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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8
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Holler M, Ihli J, Tsai EHR, Nudelman F, Verezhak M, van de Berg WDJ, Shahmoradian SH. A lathe system for micrometre-sized cylindrical sample preparation at room and cryogenic temperatures. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2020; 27:472-476. [PMID: 32153287 PMCID: PMC7064112 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577519017028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
A simple two-spindle based lathe system for the preparation of cylindrical samples intended for X-ray tomography is presented. The setup can operate at room temperature as well as under cryogenic conditions, allowing the preparation of samples down to 20 and 50 µm in diameter, respectively, within minutes. Case studies are presented involving the preparation of a brittle biomineral brachiopod shell and cryogenically fixed soft brain tissue, and their examination by means of ptychographic X-ray computed tomography reveals the preparation method to be mainly free from causing artefacts. Since this lathe system easily yields near-cylindrical samples ideal for tomography, a usage for a wide variety of otherwise challenging specimens is anticipated, in addition to potential use as a time- and cost-saving tool prior to focused ion-beam milling. Fast sample preparation becomes especially important in relation to shorter measurement times expected in next-generation synchrotron sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Holler
- Photon Science Division, Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Ihli
- Photon Science Division, Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Esther H. R. Tsai
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York, NY 11973, USA
| | - Fabio Nudelman
- School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, David Brewster Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, UK
| | - Mariana Verezhak
- Photon Science Division, Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Wilma D. J. van de Berg
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking (CNAB), Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1108, Amsterdam 1007, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah H. Shahmoradian
- Photon Science Division, Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
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9
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da Silva JC, Guilloud C, Hignette O, Jarnias C, Ponchut C, Ruat M, Labiche JC, Pacureanu A, Yang Y, Salome M, Bohic S, Cloetens P. Overcoming the challenges of high-energy X-ray ptychography. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2019; 26:1751-1762. [PMID: 31490167 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577519006301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
X-ray ptychography is a coherent diffraction imaging technique with a high resolving power and excellent quantitative capabilities. Although very popular in synchrotron facilities nowadays, its implementation with X-ray energies above 15 keV is very rare due to the challenges imposed by the high energies. Here, the implementation of high-energy X-ray ptychography at 17 and 33.6 keV is demonstrated and solutions to overcome the important challenges are provided. Among the particular aspects addressed are the use of an efficient high-energy detector, a long synchrotron beamline for the high degree of spatial coherence, a beam with 1% monochromaticity providing high flux, and efficient multilayer coated Kirkpatrick-Baez X-ray optics to shape the beam. The constraints imposed by the large energy bandwidth are carefully analyzed, as well as the requirements to sample correctly the high-energy diffraction patterns with small speckle size. In this context, optimized scanning trajectories allow the total acquisition time to be reduced by up to 35%. The paper explores these innovative solutions at the ID16A nano-imaging beamline by ptychographic imaging of a 200 nm-thick gold lithography sample.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cyril Guilloud
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | | | | | - Cyril Ponchut
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Marie Ruat
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | | | | | - Yang Yang
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Murielle Salome
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Sylvain Bohic
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Peter Cloetens
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38000 Grenoble, France
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10
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Lo YH, Liao CT, Zhou J, Rana A, Bevis CS, Gui G, Enders B, Cannon KM, Yu YS, Celestre R, Nowrouzi K, Shapiro D, Kapteyn H, Falcone R, Bennett C, Murnane M, Miao J. Multimodal x-ray and electron microscopy of the Allende meteorite. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaax3009. [PMID: 31555739 PMCID: PMC6754224 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax3009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Multimodal microscopy that combines complementary nanoscale imaging techniques is critical for extracting comprehensive chemical, structural, and functional information, particularly for heterogeneous samples. X-ray microscopy can achieve high-resolution imaging of bulk materials with chemical, magnetic, electronic, and bond orientation contrast, while electron microscopy provides atomic-scale spatial resolution with quantitative elemental composition. Here, we combine x-ray ptychography and scanning transmission x-ray spectromicroscopy with three-dimensional energy-dispersive spectroscopy and electron tomography to perform structural and chemical mapping of an Allende meteorite particle with 15-nm spatial resolution. We use textural and quantitative elemental information to infer the mineral composition and discuss potential processes that occurred before or after accretion. We anticipate that correlative x-ray and electron microscopy overcome the limitations of individual imaging modalities and open up a route to future multiscale nondestructive microscopies of complex functional materials and biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Hung Lo
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Chen-Ting Liao
- JILA and Department of Physics, University of Colorado and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Jihan Zhou
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Arjun Rana
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Charles S. Bevis
- JILA and Department of Physics, University of Colorado and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Guan Gui
- JILA and Department of Physics, University of Colorado and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Bjoern Enders
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kevin M. Cannon
- Department of Physics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
| | - Young-Sang Yu
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Richard Celestre
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kasra Nowrouzi
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - David Shapiro
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Henry Kapteyn
- JILA and Department of Physics, University of Colorado and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Roger Falcone
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Chris Bennett
- Department of Physics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
| | - Margaret Murnane
- JILA and Department of Physics, University of Colorado and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Jianwei Miao
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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11
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Cuesta A, De la Torre ÁG, Santacruz I, Diaz A, Trtik P, Holler M, Lothenbach B, Aranda MAG. Quantitative disentanglement of nanocrystalline phases in cement pastes by synchrotron ptychographic X-ray tomography. IUCRJ 2019; 6:473-491. [PMID: 31098028 PMCID: PMC6503921 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252519003774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Mortars and concretes are ubiquitous materials with very complex hierarchical microstructures. To fully understand their main properties and to decrease their CO2 footprint, a sound description of their spatially resolved mineralogy is necessary. Developing this knowledge is very challenging as about half of the volume of hydrated cement is a nanocrystalline component, calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel. Furthermore, other poorly crystalline phases (e.g. iron siliceous hydrogarnet or silica oxide) may coexist, which are even more difficult to characterize. Traditional spatially resolved techniques such as electron microscopy involve complex sample preparation steps that often lead to artefacts (e.g. dehydration and microstructural changes). Here, synchrotron ptychographic tomography has been used to obtain spatially resolved information on three unaltered representative samples: neat Portland paste, Portland-calcite and Portland-fly-ash blend pastes with a spatial resolution below 100 nm in samples with a volume of up to 5 × 104 µm3. For the neat Portland paste, the ptychotomographic study gave densities of 2.11 and 2.52 g cm-3 and a content of 41.1 and 6.4 vol% for nanocrystalline C-S-H gel and poorly crystalline iron siliceous hydrogarnet, respectively. Furthermore, the spatially resolved volumetric mass-density information has allowed characterization of inner-product and outer-product C-S-H gels. The average density of the inner-product C-S-H is smaller than that of the outer product and its variability is larger. Full characterization of the pastes, including segmentation of the different components, is reported and the contents are compared with the results obtained by thermodynamic modelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cuesta
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Universidad de Málaga, 29071-Malaga, Spain
| | - Ángeles G. De la Torre
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Universidad de Málaga, 29071-Malaga, Spain
| | - Isabel Santacruz
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Universidad de Málaga, 29071-Malaga, Spain
| | - Ana Diaz
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Pavel Trtik
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
- Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, 166 29 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Mirko Holler
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Lothenbach
- EMPA, Laboratory for Concrete and Construction Chemistry, Überlandstrasse 129, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Miguel A. G. Aranda
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Universidad de Málaga, 29071-Malaga, Spain
- ALBA Synchrotron, Carrer de la Llum 2-26, E-08290 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
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Shimomura K, Hirose M, Higashino T, Takahashi Y. Three-dimensional iterative multislice reconstruction for ptychographic X-ray computed tomography. OPTICS EXPRESS 2018; 26:31199-31208. [PMID: 30650709 DOI: 10.1364/oe.26.031199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Ptychographic X-ray computed tomography (PXCT) is a potential tool for visualizing three-dimensional (3D) structures of large-volume samples at high spatial resolution. Currently, both the requirement of a large number of views and the narrow depth of field limit the range of applications of PXCT. Here, we propose an improved 3D reconstruction algorithm for PXCT that is based on 3D iterative reconstruction and multislice phase retrieval calculation. Computer simulations showed that the proposed algorithm can reduce the number of required views without degrading the spatial resolution. In a synchrotron experiment, ptychographic diffraction data sets of a flat and thick processor specimen were collected under a limited-angle condition, and then high-resolution multislice images of the Cu multilevel interconnects were clearly reconstructed using the proposed algorithm. The proposed algorithm is expected to open up a new frontier of large-volume 3D nanoimaging in various fields.
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Holler M, Raabe J, Wepf R, Shahmoradian SH, Diaz A, Sarafimov B, Lachat T, Walther H, Vitins M. OMNY PIN-A versatile sample holder for tomographic measurements at room and cryogenic temperatures. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2017; 88:113701. [PMID: 29195351 DOI: 10.1063/1.4996092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays ptychographic tomography in the hard x-ray regime, i.e., at energies above about 2 keV, is a well-established measurement technique. At the Paul Scherrer Institut, currently two instruments are available: one is measuring at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, and the other, the so-called OMNY (tOMography Nano crYo) instrument, is operating at ultra-high vacuum and offering cryogenic sample temperatures down to 10 K. In this manuscript, we present the sample mounts that were developed for these instruments. Aside from excellent mechanical stability and thermal conductivity, they also offer highly reproducible mounting. Various types were developed for different kinds of samples and are presented in detail, including examples of how specimens can be mounted on these holders. We also show the first hard x-ray ptychographic tomography measurements of high-pressure frozen biological samples, in the present case Chlamydomonas cells, the related sample pins and preparation steps. For completeness, we present accessories such as transportation containers for both room temperature and cryogenic samples and a gripper mechanism for automatic sample changing. The sample mounts are not limited to x-ray tomography or hard x-ray energies, and we believe that they can be very useful for other instrumentation projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Holler
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - J Raabe
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - R Wepf
- Scientific Center for Optical and Electron Microscopy ScopeM, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - A Diaz
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - B Sarafimov
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - T Lachat
- EnDes Engineering Partner AG, 4703 Kestenholz, Switzerland
| | - H Walther
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - M Vitins
- Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
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A three-dimensional view of structural changes caused by deactivation of fluid catalytic cracking catalysts. Nat Commun 2017; 8:809. [PMID: 28993649 PMCID: PMC5634498 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00789-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Since its commercial introduction three-quarters of a century ago, fluid catalytic cracking has been one of the most important conversion processes in the petroleum industry. In this process, porous composites composed of zeolite and clay crack the heavy fractions in crude oil into transportation fuel and petrochemical feedstocks. Yet, over time the catalytic activity of these composite particles decreases. Here, we report on ptychographic tomography, diffraction, and fluorescence tomography, as well as electron microscopy measurements, which elucidate the structural changes that lead to catalyst deactivation. In combination, these measurements reveal zeolite amorphization and distinct structural changes on the particle exterior as the driving forces behind catalyst deactivation. Amorphization of zeolites, in particular, close to the particle exterior, results in a reduction of catalytic capacity. A concretion of the outermost particle layer into a dense amorphous silica-alumina shell further reduces the mass transport to the active sites within the composite.Catalyst deactivation in fluid catalytic cracking processes is unavoidably associated with structural changes. Here, the authors visualize the deactivation of zeolite catalysts by ptychography and other imaging techniques, showing pronounced amorphization of the outer layer of the catalyst particles.
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15
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Ioannidou K, Ulm FJ, Levitz P, Del Gado E, Pellenq RJM. Nano-granular texture of cement hydrates. EPJ WEB OF CONFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/201714015027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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16
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Ioannidou K, Del Gado E, Ulm FJ, Pellenq RJM. Inhomogeneity in Cement Hydrates: Linking Local Packing to Local Pressure. JOURNAL OF NANOMECHANICS AND MICROMECHANICS 2017. [DOI: 10.1061/(asce)nm.2153-5477.0000120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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17
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Abstract
Strength and other mechanical properties of cement and concrete rely upon the formation of calcium-silicate-hydrates (C-S-H) during cement hydration. Controlling structure and properties of the C-S-H phase is a challenge, due to the complexity of this hydration product and of the mechanisms that drive its precipitation from the ionic solution upon dissolution of cement grains in water. Departing from traditional models mostly focused on length scales above the micrometer, recent research addressed the molecular structure of C-S-H. However, small-angle neutron scattering, electron-microscopy imaging, and nanoindentation experiments suggest that its mesoscale organization, extending over hundreds of nanometers, may be more important. Here we unveil the C-S-H mesoscale texture, a crucial step to connect the fundamental scales to the macroscale of engineering properties. We use simulations that combine information of the nanoscale building units of C-S-H and their effective interactions, obtained from atomistic simulations and experiments, into a statistical physics framework for aggregating nanoparticles. We compute small-angle scattering intensities, pore size distributions, specific surface area, local densities, indentation modulus, and hardness of the material, providing quantitative understanding of different experimental investigations. Our results provide insight into how the heterogeneities developed during the early stages of hydration persist in the structure of C-S-H and impact the mechanical performance of the hardened cement paste. Unraveling such links in cement hydrates can be groundbreaking and controlling them can be the key to smarter mix designs of cementitious materials.
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Yan H, Nazaretski E, Lauer K, Huang X, Wagner U, Rau C, Yusuf M, Robinson I, Kalbfleisch S, Li L, Bouet N, Zhou J, Conley R, Chu YS. Multimodality hard-x-ray imaging of a chromosome with nanoscale spatial resolution. Sci Rep 2016; 6:20112. [PMID: 26846188 PMCID: PMC4742846 DOI: 10.1038/srep20112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We developed a scanning hard x-ray microscope using a new class of x-ray nano-focusing optic called a multilayer Laue lens and imaged a chromosome with nanoscale spatial resolution. The combination of the hard x-ray’s superior penetration power, high sensitivity to elemental composition, high spatial-resolution and quantitative analysis creates a unique tool with capabilities that other microscopy techniques cannot provide. Using this microscope, we simultaneously obtained absorption-, phase-, and fluorescence-contrast images of Pt-stained human chromosome samples. The high spatial-resolution of the microscope and its multi-modality imaging capabilities enabled us to observe the internal ultra-structures of a thick chromosome without sectioning it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanfei Yan
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Evgeny Nazaretski
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Kenneth Lauer
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Xiaojing Huang
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Ulrich Wagner
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Christoph Rau
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Mohammed Yusuf
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London, WC1H 0AH, UK.,Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Ian Robinson
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London, WC1H 0AH, UK.,Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Sebastian Kalbfleisch
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Li Li
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Nathalie Bouet
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Juan Zhou
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Ray Conley
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA.,Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
| | - Yong S Chu
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
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Diaz A, Malkova B, Holler M, Guizar-Sicairos M, Lima E, Panneels V, Pigino G, Bittermann AG, Wettstein L, Tomizaki T, Bunk O, Schertler G, Ishikawa T, Wepf R, Menzel A. Three-dimensional mass density mapping of cellular ultrastructure by ptychographic X-ray nanotomography. J Struct Biol 2015; 192:461-469. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2015.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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20
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Aranda MA. Recent studies of cements and concretes by synchrotron radiation crystallographic and cognate methods. CRYSTALLOGR REV 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/0889311x.2015.1070260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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