Atomic dynamics of electrified solid-liquid interfaces in liquid-cell TEM.

Electrified solid-liquid interfaces (ESLIs) play a key role in various electrochemical processes relevant to energy1-5, biology6 and geochemistry7. The electron and mass transport at the electrified interfaces may result in structural modifications that markedly influence the reaction pathways. For example, electrocatalyst surface restructuring during reactions can substantially affect the catalysis mechanisms and reaction products1-3. Despite its importance, direct probing the atomic dynamics of solid-liquid interfaces under electric biasing is challenging owing to the nature of being buried in liquid electrolytes and the limited spatial resolution of current techniques for in situ imaging through liquids. Here, with our development of advanced polymer electrochemical liquid cells for transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we are able to directly monitor the atomic dynamics of ESLIs during copper (Cu)-catalysed CO2 electroreduction reactions (CO2ERs). Our observation reveals a fluctuating liquid-like amorphous interphase. It undergoes reversible crystalline-amorphous structural transformations and flows along the electrified Cu surface, thus mediating the crystalline Cu surface restructuring and mass loss through the interphase layer. The combination of real-time observation and theoretical calculations unveils an amorphization-mediated restructuring mechanism resulting from charge-activated surface reactions with the electrolyte. Our results open many opportunities to explore the atomic dynamics and its impact in broad systems involving ESLIs by taking advantage of the in situ imaging capability.

Spatially resolved structural order in low-temperature liquid electrolyte.

Determining the degree and the spatial extent of structural order in liquids is a grand challenge. Here, we are able to resolve the structural order in a model organic electrolyte of 1 M lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) dissolved in 1:1 (v/v) ethylene carbonate:diethylcarbonate by developing an integrated method of liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cryo-TEM operated at -30°C, four-dimensional scanning TEM, and data analysis based on deep learning. This study reveals the presence of short-range order (SRO) in the high-salt concentration domains of the liquid electrolyte from liquid phase separation at the low temperature. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest the SRO originates from the Li+-(PF6-)n (n > 2) local structural order induced by high LiPF6 salt concentration.

Strong Structural and Electronic Coupling in Metavalent PbS Moiré Superlattices.

Moiré superlattices are twisted bilayer materials in which the tunable interlayer quantum confinement offers access to new physics and novel device functionalities. Previously, moiré superlattices were built exclusively using materials with weak van der Waals interactions, and synthesizing moiré superlattices with strong interlayer chemical bonding was considered to be impractical. Here, using lead sulfide (PbS) as an example, we report a strategy for synthesizing moiré superlattices coupled by strong chemical bonding. We use water-soluble ligands as a removable template to obtain free-standing ultrathin PbS nanosheets and assemble them into direct-contact bilayers with various twist angles. Atomic-resolution imaging shows the moiré periodic structural reconstruction at the superlattice interface due to the strong metavalent coupling. Electron energy loss spectroscopy and theoretical calculations collectively reveal the twist-angle-dependent electronic structure, especially the emergent separation of flat bands at small twist angles. The localized states of flat bands are similar to well-arranged quantum dots, promising an application in devices. This study opens a new door to the exploration of deep energy modulations within moiré superlattices alternative to van der Waals twistronics.

Influence of sub-zero temperature on nucleation and growth of copper nanoparticles in electrochemical reactions.

Cu metal nanostructures have attracted wide interest of study as catalysts for CO2 reduction reaction and other applications. Controlling the structure and morphology of Cu nanostructures during synthesis is crucial for achieving desired properties. Here, we studied temperature effects on electrochemical deposition of Cu nanoparticles. We found the size, nucleation density, and crystallinity of Cu nanoparticles are strongly influenced by low temperature processing. The electrodeposition at low temperature (-20°C) results in clusters of assembled small Cu nanoparticles, which is distinctly different from the large individual highly crystalline Cu nanoparticles obtained from the room temperature process. The differences in Cu nanoparticle morphology and crystallinity are attributed to the variations in reduction reaction rate and surface diffusion. The limitation of the reaction rate promotes multiple nuclei, and low surface diffusion induces poor crystallinity. This study deepens our understanding of low-temperature effects on electrochemical processes assisting the design of diverse hierarchical catalytic materials.

How photocorrosion can trick you: a detailed study on low-bandgap Li doped CuO photocathodes for solar hydrogen production.

The efficiency of photoelectrochemical tandem cells is still limited by the availability of stable low band gap electrodes. In this work, we report a photocathode based on lithium doped copper(ii) oxide, a black p-type semiconductor. Density functional theory calculations with a Hubbard U term show that low concentrations of Li (Li0.03Cu0.97O) lead to an upward shift of the valence band maximum that crosses the Fermi level and results in a p-type semiconductor. Therefore, Li doping emerged as a suitable approach to manipulate the electronic structure of copper oxide based photocathodes. As this material class suffers from instability in water under operating conditions, the recorded photocurrents are repeatedly misinterpreted as hydrogen evolution evidence. We investigated the photocorrosion behavior of LixCu1-xO cathodes in detail and give the first mechanistic study of the fundamental physical process. The reduced copper oxide species were localized by electron energy loss spectroscopy mapping. Cu2O grows as distinct crystallites on the surface of LixCu1-xO instead of forming a dense layer. Additionally, there is no obvious Cu2O gradient inside the films, as Cu2O seems to form on all LixCu1-xO nanocrystals exposed to water. The application of a thin Ti0.8Nb0.2Ox coating by atomic layer deposition and the deposition of a platinum co-catalyst increased the stability of LixCu1-xO against decomposition. These devices showed a stable hydrogen evolution for 15 minutes.

Formation of two-dimensional transition metal oxide nanosheets with nanoparticles as intermediates.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted significant interest because of their large surface-to-volume ratios and electron confinement. Compared to common 2D materials such as graphene or metal hydroxides, with their intrinsic layered atomic structures, the formation mechanisms of 2D metal oxides with a rocksalt structure are not well understood. Here, we report the formation process for 2D cobalt oxide and cobalt nickel oxide nanosheets, after analysis by in situ liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy. Our observations reveal that three-dimensional (3D) nanoparticles are initially formed from the molecular precursor solution and then transform into 2D nanosheets. Ab initio calculations show that a small nanocrystal is dominated by positive edge energy, but when it grows to a certain size, the negative surface energy becomes dominant, driving the transformation of the 3D nanocrystal into a 2D structure. Uncovering these growth pathways, including the 3D-to-2D transition, provides opportunities for future material design and synthesis in solution.

TEM preparation methods and influence of radiation damage on the beam sensitive CaCO3 shell of Emiliania huxleyi.

The ultrastructure of biologically formed calcium carbonate crystals like the shell of Emiliania huxleyi depends on the environmental conditions such as pH value, temperature and salinity. Therefore, they can be used as indicator for climate changes. However, for this a detailed understanding of their crystal structure and chemical composition is required. High resolution methods like transmission electron microscopy can provide those information on the nanoscale, given that sufficiently thin samples can be prepared. In our study, we developed sample preparation techniques for cross-section and plan-view investigations and studied the sample stability under electron bombardment. In addition to the biological material (Emiliania huxleyi) we also prepared mineralogical samples (Iceland spar) for comparison. High resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging, electron diffraction and electron energy-loss spectroscopy studies revealed that all prepared samples are relatively stable under electron bombardment at an acceleration voltage of 300 kV when using a parallel illumination. Above an accumulated dose of ∼10(5) e/nm2 the material--independent whether its origin is biological or geological--transformed to poly-crystalline calcium oxide.