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Boebinger MG, Yilmaz DE, Ghosh A, Misra S, Mathis TS, Kalinin SV, Jesse S, Gogotsi Y, van Duin ACT, Unocic RR. Direct Fabrication of Atomically Defined Pores in MXenes Using Feedback-Driven STEM. SMALL METHODS 2024:e2400203. [PMID: 38803318 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202400203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Controlled fabrication of nanopores in 2D materials offer the means to create robust membranes needed for ion transport and nanofiltration. Techniques for creating nanopores have relied upon either plasma etching or direct irradiation; however, aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) offers the advantage of combining a sub-Å sized electron beam for atomic manipulation along with atomic resolution imaging. Here, a method for automated nanopore fabrication is utilized with real-time atomic visualization to enhance the mechanistic understanding of beam-induced transformations. Additionally, an electron beam simulation technique, Electron-Beam Simulator (E-BeamSim) is developed to observe the atomic movements and interactions resulting from electron beam irradiation. Using the MXene Ti3C2Tx, the influence of temperature on nanopore fabrication is explored by tracking atomic transformations and find that at room temperature the electron beam irradiation induces random displacement and results in titanium pileups at the nanopore edge, which is confirmed by E-BeamSim. At elevated temperatures, after removal of the surface functional groups and with the increased mobility of atoms results in atomic transformations that lead to the selective removal of atoms layer by layer. This work can lead to the development of defect engineering techniques within functionalized MXene layers and other 2D materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Boebinger
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Dundar E Yilmaz
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Ayana Ghosh
- Computational Sciences and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Sudhajit Misra
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Tyler S Mathis
- A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Sergei V Kalinin
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Stephen Jesse
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Yury Gogotsi
- A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Adri C T van Duin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Raymond R Unocic
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
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Bui TA, Leuthner GT, Madsen J, Monazam MRA, Chirita AI, Postl A, Mangler C, Kotakoski J, Susi T. Creation of Single Vacancies in hBN with Electron Irradiation. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2301926. [PMID: 37259696 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202301926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Understanding electron irradiation effects is vital not only for reliable transmission electron microscopy characterization, but increasingly also for the controlled manipulation of 2D materials. The displacement cross sections of monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) are measured using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy in near ultra-high vacuum at primary beam energies between 50 and 90 keV. Damage rates below 80 keV are up to three orders of magnitude lower than previously measured at edges under poorer residual vacuum conditions, where chemical etching appears to dominate. Notably, it is possible to create single vacancies in hBN using electron irradiation, with boron almost twice as likely as nitrogen to be ejected below 80 keV. Moreover, any damage at such low energies cannot be explained by elastic knock-on, even when accounting for the vibrations of the atoms. A theoretical description is developed to account for the lowering of the displacement threshold due to valence ionization resulting from inelastic scattering of probe electrons, modeled using charge-constrained density functional theory molecular dynamics. Although significant reductions are found depending on the constrained charge, quantitative predictions for realistic ionization states are currently not possible. Nonetheless, there is potential for defect-engineering of hBN at the level of single vacancies using electron irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuy An Bui
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Gregor T Leuthner
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Jacob Madsen
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Mohammad R A Monazam
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Alexandru I Chirita
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Andreas Postl
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Clemens Mangler
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Jani Kotakoski
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Toma Susi
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, Vienna, 1090, Austria
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Boebinger MG, Brea C, Ding LP, Misra S, Olunloyo O, Yu Y, Xiao K, Lupini AR, Ding F, Hu G, Ganesh P, Jesse S, Unocic RR. The Atomic Drill Bit: Precision Controlled Atomic Fabrication of 2D Materials. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2210116. [PMID: 36635517 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202210116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The ability to deterministically fabricate nanoscale architectures with atomic precision is the central goal of nanotechnology, whereby highly localized changes in the atomic structure can be exploited to control device properties at their fundamental physical limit. Here, an automated, feedback-controlled atomic fabrication method is reported and the formation of 1D-2D heterostructures in MoS2 is demonstrated through selective transformations along specific crystallographic orientations. The atomic-scale probe of an aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) is used, and the shape and symmetry of the scan pathway relative to the sample orientation are controlled. The focused and shaped electron beam is used to reliably create Mo6 S6 nanowire (MoS-NW) terminated metallic-semiconductor 1D-2D edge structures within a pristine MoS2 monolayer with atomic precision. From these results, it is found that a triangular beam path aligned along the zig-zag sulfur terminated (ZZS) direction forms stable MoS-NW edge structures with the highest degree of fidelity without resulting in disordering of the surrounding MoS2 monolayer. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and ab initio molecular dynamic simulations (AIMD) are used to calculate the energetic barriers for the most stable atomic edge structures and atomic transformation pathways. These discoveries provide an automated method to improve understanding of atomic-scale transformations while opening a pathway toward more precise atomic-scale engineering of materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Boebinger
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Courtney Brea
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY, 11367, USA
| | - Li-Ping Ding
- Department of Physics, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an Weiyang University Park, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Sudhajit Misra
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Olugbenga Olunloyo
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, 1408 Circle Dr, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Yiling Yu
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
- School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China
| | - Kai Xiao
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Andrew R Lupini
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Feng Ding
- Centre for Multidimensional Carbon Materials, Institute for Basic Science, 50 UNIST-gil, Ulsan, 44919, South Korea
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan Institute of Science and Technology, 50 UNIST-gil, Ulsan, 44919, South Korea
| | - Guoxiang Hu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY, 11367, USA
| | - Panchapakesan Ganesh
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Stephen Jesse
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Raymond R Unocic
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
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Susi T. Identifying and manipulating single atoms with scanning transmission electron microscopy. Chem Commun (Camb) 2022; 58:12274-12285. [PMID: 36260089 PMCID: PMC9632407 DOI: 10.1039/d2cc04807h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
The manipulation of individual atoms has developed from visionary speculation into an established experimental science. Using focused electron irradiation in a scanning transmission electron microscope instead of a physical tip in a scanning probe microscope confers several benefits, including thermal stability of the manipulated structures, the ability to reach into bulk crystals, and the chemical identification of single atoms. However, energetic electron irradiation also presents unique challenges, with an inevitable possibility of irradiation damage. Understanding the underlying mechanisms will undoubtedly continue to play an important role to guide experiments. Great progress has been made in several materials including graphene, carbon nanotubes, and crystalline silicon in the eight years since the discovery of electron-beam manipulation, but the important challenges that remain will determine how far we can expect to progress in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toma Susi
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Kroonblawd MP, Yoshimura A, Goldman N, Maiti A, Lewicki JP, Saab AP. Multiscale Strategy for Predicting Radiation Chemistry in Polymers. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:5117-5124. [PMID: 35960960 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A primary mode for radiation damage in polymers arises from ballistic electrons that induce electronic excitations, yet subsequent chemical mechanisms are poorly understood. We develop a multiscale strategy to predict this chemistry starting from subatomic scattering calculations. Nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulations sample initial bond-breaking events following the most likely excitations, which feed into semiempirical simulations that approach chemical equilibrium. Application to polyethylene reveals a mechanism explaining the low propensity to cross-link in crystalline samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P Kroonblawd
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Anthony Yoshimura
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Nir Goldman
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Amitesh Maiti
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - James P Lewicki
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Andrew P Saab
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
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