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Surfactants are widely used in the synthesis of nanoparticles, as they have a remarkable ability to direct their growth to obtain well-defined shapes and sizes. However, their post-synthesis removal is a challenge, and the methods used often result in morphological changes that defeat the purpose of the initial controlled growth. Moreover, after the removal of surfactants, the highly active surfaces of nanomaterials may undergo structural reconstruction by exposure to a different environment. Thus, ex situ characterization after air exposure may not reflect the effect of the cleaning methods. Here, combining X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, in situ infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, and environmental transmission electron microscopy measurements with CO probe experiments, we investigated different surfactant-removal methods to produce clean metallic Pt nanoparticles from surfactant-encapsulated ones. It was demonstrated that both ultraviolet-ozone (UV-ozone) treatment and room temperature O2 plasma treatment led to the formation of Pt oxides on the surface after the removal of the surfactant. On the other hand, when H2 was used for plasma treatment, both the Pt0 oxidation state and nanoparticle size distribution were preserved. In addition, H2 plasma treatment can reduce Pt oxides after O2-based treatments, resulting in metallic nanoparticles with clean surfaces. These findings provide a better understanding of the various options for surfactant removal from metal nanoparticles and point toward non-thermal plasmas as the best route if the integrity of the nanoparticle needs to be preserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the ubiquitous presence of passivation on most metal surfaces, the microscopic‐level picture of how surface passivation occurs has been hitherto unclear. Using the canonical example of the surface passivation of aluminum, here in situ atomistic transmission electron microscopy observations and computational modeling are employed to disentangle entangled microscopic processes and identify the atomic processes leading to the surface passivation. Based on atomic‐scale observations of the layer‐by‐layer expansion of the metal lattice and its subsequent transformation into the amorphous oxide, it is shown that the surface passivation occurs via a two‐stage oxidation process, in which the first stage is dominated by intralayer atomic shuffling whereas the second stage is governed by interlayer atomic disordering upon the progressive oxygen uptake. The first stage can be bypassed by increasing surface defects to promote the interlayer atomic migration that results in direct amorphization of multiple atomic layers of the metal lattice. The identified two‐stage reaction mechanism and the effect of surface defects in promoting interlayer atomic shuffling can find broader applicability in utilizing surface defects to tune the mass transport and passivation kinetics, as well as the composition, structure, and transport properties of the passivation films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the well-known tendency for many alloys to undergo ordering transformations, the microscopic mechanism of ordering and its dependence on alloy composition remains largely unknown. Using the example of Pt85Fe15 and Pt65Fe35 alloy nanoparticles (NPs), herein we demonstrate the composition-dependent ordering processes on the single-particle level, where the nanoscale size effect allows for close interplay between surface and bulk in controlling the phase evolution. Using in situ electron microscopy observations, we show that the ordering transformation in Pt85Fe15 NPs during vacuum annealing occurs via the surface nucleation and growth of L12-ordered Pt3Fe domains that propagate into the bulk, followed by the self-sacrifice transformation of the surface region of the L12 Pt3Fe into a Pt skin. By contrast, the ordering in Pt65Fe35 NPs proceeds via an interface mechanism by which the rapid formation of an L10 PtFe skin occurs on the NPs and the transformation boundary moves inward along with outward Pt diffusion. Although both the "nucleation and growth" and the "interface" mechanisms result in a core-shell configuration with a thin Pt-rich skin, Pt85Fe15 NPs have an L12 Pt3Fe core, whereas Pt65Fe35 NPs are composed of an L10 PtFe core. Using atomistic modeling, we identify the composition-dependent vacancyassisted counterdiffusion of Pt and Fe atoms between the surface and core regions in controlling the ordering transformation pathway. This vacancy-assisted diffusion is further demonstrated by oxygen annealing, for which the selective oxidation of Fe results in a large number of Fe vacancies and thereby greatly accelerates the transformation kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epitaxially regrown electrically pumped photonic crystal surface‐emitting lasers (PCSELs) emitting near 2 and 2.6 μm are designed, fabricated, and characterized. A high‐index‐contrast photonic crystal layer is incorporated into the GaSb‐based laser heterostructure by air‐hole‐retaining epitaxial regrowth. A square lattice of triangular holes is etched in the top waveguide core layer of the incomplete laser heterostructure. The nanopatterned surface is subsequently cleaned and regrown with AlGaAsSb p‐cladding material. Transmission electron microscopy studies demonstrate uniform regrowth over the nanopatterned GaSb surface. The selected regrowth regimes yield a buried 2D array of elongated air‐holes. The diode PCSELs based on moderately etched nanopatterns demonstrate band‐edge lasing near 2 μm up to room temperatures. The cascade diode PCSELs operate near 2.6 μm with minimum threshold current densities of about 500 A cm−2 achieved at 180 K. The devices generate mW level output in narrow divergence beam emitted from the window in substrate contact. The angle‐resolved electroluminescence measurements reveal a four‐sub‐band band structure with an apparent photonic bandgap corresponding to the buried high‐index‐contrast square photonic crystal layer. The PCSELs made of heterostructures supporting two modes in the vertical direction demonstrate two sets of sub‐bands showing anti‐crossing‐like interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of well-controlled interfaces between materials of different structure and bonding is a key requirement when developing new devices and functionalities. Of particular importance are epitaxial or low defect density interfaces between two-dimensional materials and three-dimensional semiconductors or metals, where an interfacial structure influences electrical conductivity in field effect and optoelectronic devices, charge transfer for spintronics and catalysis, and proximity-induced superconductivity. Epitaxy and hence well-defined interfacial structure has been demonstrated for several metals on van der Waals-bonded substrates. Semiconductor epitaxy on such substrates has been harder to control, for example during chemical vapor deposition of Si and Ge on graphene. Here, we demonstrate a catalytically mediated heteroepitaxy approach to achieve epitaxial growth of three-dimensional semiconductors such as Ge and Si on van der Waals-bonded materials such as graphene and hexagonal boron nitride. Epitaxy is "transferred" from the substrate to semiconductor nanocrystals via solid metal nanocrystals that readily align on the substrate and catalyze the formation of aligned nuclei of the semiconductor. In situ transmission electron microscopy allows us to elucidate the reaction pathway for this process and to show that solid metal nanocrystals can catalyze semiconductor growth at a significantly lower temperature than direct chemical vapor deposition or deposition mediated by liquid catalyst droplets. We discuss Ge and Si growth as a model system to explore the details of such hetero-interfacing and its applicability to a broader range of materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanopyramid light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been synthesized by selective area organometallic vapor phase epitaxy. Self-organized porous anodic alumina is used to pattern the dielectric growth templates via reactive ion etching, eliminating the need for lithographic processes. (In,Ga)N quantum well growth occurs primarily on the six [formula] semipolar facets of each of the nanopyramids, while coherent (In,Ga)N quantum dots with heights of up to ∼20 nm are incorporated at the apex by controlling growth conditions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicates that the (In,Ga)N active regions of the nanopyramid heterostructures are completely dislocation-free. Temperature-dependent continuous-wave photoluminescence of nanopyramid heterostructures yields a peak emission wavelength of 617 nm and 605 nm at 300 K and 4 K, respectively. The peak emission energy varies with increasing temperature with a double S-shaped profile, which is attributed to either the presence of two types of InN-rich features within the nanopyramids or a contribution from the commonly observed yellow defect luminescence close to 300 K. TEM cross-sections reveal continuous planar defects in the (In,Ga)N quantum wells and GaN cladding layers grown at 650–780 °C, present in 38% of the nanopyramid heterostructures. Plan-view TEM of the planar defects confirms that these defects do not terminate within the nanopyramids. During the growth of p-GaN, the structure of the nanopyramid LEDs changed from pyramidal to a partially coalesced film as the thickness requirements for an undepleted p-GaN layer result in nanopyramid impingement. Continuous-wave electroluminescence of nanopyramid LEDs reveals a 45 nm redshift in comparison to a thin-film LED, suggesting higher InN incorporation in the nanopyramid LEDs. These results strongly encourage future investigations of III-nitride nanoheteroepitaxy as an approach for creating efficient long wavelength LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report in situ atomic-scale transmission electron microscopy observations of the surface dynamics during Cu2O reduction. We show inhomogeneous oxide reduction caused by the preferential adsorption of hydrogen at step edges that induces oxygen loss and destabilizes Cu atoms within the step edge, thereby resulting in the retraction motion of atomic steps at the oxide surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the behavior and dynamic structural transformation of subnanometric metal species under reaction conditions will be helpful for understanding catalytic phenomena and for developing more efficient and stable catalysts based on single atoms and clusters. In this work, the evolution and stabilization of subnanometric Pt species confined in MCM-22 zeolite has been studied by in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). By correlating the results from in situ TEM studies and the results obtained in a continuous fix-bed reactor, it has been possible to delimitate the factors that control the dynamic agglomeration and redispersion behavior of metal species under reaction conditions. The dynamic reversible transformation between atomically dispersed Pt species and clusters/nanoparticles during CO oxidation at different temperatures has been elucidated. It has also been confirmed that subnanometric Pt clusters can be stabilized in MCM-22 crystallites during NO reduction with CO and H2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale application of graphene requires its clean transfer from thin metal films, where it is grown via chemical vapor deposition (CVD), to any other substrates of interest. All the existing transfer methodologies, however, leave residues at different degrees on graphene surfaces and can only provide atomically clean graphene surfaces in areas as large as ~10-4 μm². Here, we transfer CVDgrown graphene using Poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA) and present a method that can atomically clean the PMMA residues from a larger surface area of graphene using radiolized water obtained via electron-water interaction at high temperatures. The cleaning process was monitored in-situ using an environmental-mode transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. These showed the effectiveness of PMMA removal over areas as large as ~0.02 μm², whose size was only limited by the size of the electron beam and the presence of inorganic residues after the transfer process. By overcoming these limitations, we may achieve atomically clean graphene transfer to even larger areas--enabling more challenging device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combustion soot particles are fractal aggregates of hydrophobic spherules. Mixing of soot particles with other chemicals during atmospheric processing may partially offset their hydrophobicity, promoting water uptake and structural compaction. We investigated morphological changes in fractal soot particles coated by sulfuric acid and then humidified, both in airborne and surface-bound states. Airborne soot was probed by tandem differential mobility analysis. Surface-bound soot was studied in a controlled microenvironment of a closed cell, using environmental transmission electron microscopy. After humidification, the airborne particles became fully compact, but the deposited particles showed only minor morphological changes despite significant water uptake. Although minor, those changes were detected during both water condensation and evaporation, indicating that condensation-evaporation cycles play an important role in atmospheric soot compaction. Lesser restructuring of deposited aggregates was caused by surface anchoring and coating loss, making anchoring an indispensable tool for preserving morphology of aggregates against changing experimental environment. [Display omitted] • Soot particles with hygroscopic coatings restructure after humidification when airborne but remain fractal when surface-bound. • Surface adhesion of individual spherules anchors the aggregate, hindering major morphological changes during water uptake. • Water vapor uptake and evaporation both contribute to morphological changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to more deeply understand the mechanisms of catalytic reactions, improved methods are needed to monitor changes that occur in the electronic, structural, and chemical properties of catalytic systems under the conditions in which they work. We describe here a microreactor-based approach that integrates the capabilities of advanced X-ray, electron, optical, and gas-phase compositional analysis techniques under operando conditions. For several exemplary catalytic systems, we demonstrate how this approach enables the characterization of three of the major factors that contribute to structure-property correlations in heterogeneous catalysis. Specifically, we describe how this approach can be used to better understand the atomic structure and elemental composition of nanocatalysts, the physiochemical properties of the support and catalyst/support interfaces, and the gas- and surface-phase chemistry that occurs under operando conditions. We highlight the generality of the approach, as well as opportunities for future developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoscale alloying and phase transformations in physical mixtures of Pd and Cu ultrafine nanoparticles are investigated in real time with in situ synchrotron-based x-ray diffraction complemented by ex situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The combination of metal–support interaction and reactive/non-reactive environment was found to determine the thermal evolution and ultimate structure of this binary system. At 300 °C, the nanoparticles supported on silica and carbon black intermix to form a chemically ordered CsCl-type (B2) alloy phase. The B2 phase transforms into a disordered fcc alloy at higher temperature (> 450 °C). The alloy nanoparticles supported on silica and carbon black are homogeneous in volume, but evidence was found of Pd surface enrichment. In sharp contrast, when supported on alumina, the two metals segregated at 300 °C to produce almost pure fcc Cu and Pd phases. Upon further annealing of the mixture on alumina above 600 °C, the two metals interdiffused, forming two distinct disordered alloys of compositions 30% and 90% Pd. The annealing atmosphere also plays a major role in the structural evolution of these bimetallic nanoparticles. The nanoparticles annealed in forming gas are larger than the nanoparticles annealing in helium due to reduction of the surface oxides that promotes coalescence and sintering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional and homogeneous growth of m-plane AlGaN by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy has been realized on free-standing (1[formula]00) GaN substrates by implementing high metal-to-nitrogen (III/N) flux ratio. AlN island nucleation, often reported for m-plane AlGaN under nitrogen-rich growth conditions, is suppressed at high III/N flux ratio, highlighting the important role of growth kinetics for adatom incorporation. The homogeneity and microstructure of m-plane AlGaN/GaN superlattices are assessed via a combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The predominant defects identified in dark field TEM characterization are short basal plane stacking faults (SFs) bounded by either Frank-Shockley or Frank partial dislocations. In particular, the linear density of SFs is approximately 5 × 10-5 cm-1, and the length of SFs is less than 15 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

InAs and high indium concentration InGaAs have very high electron mobilities and saturation velocities. Using them as the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) channel materials is a very promising way to keep improving the integrated circuit chip performance beyond Moore’s law. One major obstacle is the growth of these high mobility channel materials on lattice-mismatched substratcs. In this work, we studied the molecular beam epitaxy growth of InAs, In0.8Al0.2As, and In0.8Ga0.2As on lattice-mismatched GaAs substrate using a thin indium-rich InAs wetting layer. Reflection high energy electron diffraction and atomic force microscopy were used to optimize the growth conditions. A surface roughness of ∼0.5 nm rms was obtained for InAs layers. A new MOSFET structure with In0.8Ga0.2As channel and In0.8Al0.2As buffer layer was also demonstrated. High mobility depletion mode MOSFET characteristics were demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A focused ion beam (FIB) is used to sequentially reduce the contact length of an evaporated metal film to a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT). By using this FIB contact cutback technique, the contact resistance between an individual MWCNT and evaporated thin films of Au, Au/Ti, and Ag are accurately determined. The data permit a rational way to specify the minimum contact length of a metallic thin film to a MWCNT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epitaxial ferroelectric SrBi[sub 2]Ta[sub 2]O[sub 9] (SBT) thin films with a well-defined crystallographic orientation state consisting of a mix of (100) and (116) orientations have been grown on (110)-oriented SrLaGaO[sub 4] (SLG) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. X-ray pole figure analyses revealed the presence of two epitaxial orientation relationships, viz. SBT(100)|SLG(110); SBT[001]|SLG[001] and SBT(116)|SLG(110); SBT[1¯10]|SLG[001]. By calculating the integrated intensity of certain x-ray diffraction peaks, it was established that the crystallinity and the in-plane orientation of the (100) and (116) orientation are maximized at a substrate temperature of 775 and 788 °C, respectively, and that the volume fraction of the (100) orientation at about 770 °C reached about 60%.© 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scalable production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) requires catalysts and reaction conditions that provide high nucleation efficiency. In situ characterization methods such as environmental transmission electron microscopy (ETEM) can reveal fundamental mechanisms of synthesis, but to date have primarily provided qualitative observations on small sample sizes. Here, quantitative analysis is performed using high-resolution, high-rate video capture of ETEM experimentation coupled with automated image processing, involving computer vision algorithms and convolutional neural networks. By this approach, we detect distinct nanoparticle formation from an alumina-supported iron thin film and subsequent CNT nucleation from the nanoparticles. The statistical summary of particles in each video shows that, compared to a H 2 -only atmosphere, pretreatment of the catalyst with carbon added to the H 2 atmosphere results in a smaller average particle diameter, a 2-fold increase in particle density (to 5300 particles/ μ m2), a 3-fold increase in CNT nucleation efficiency (to 92 %), and more than a 5-fold increase in CNT density (to 4800/ μ m2). Addition of carbon during exposure to H 2 is also more effective than NH 3 at dewetting the catalyst film and increasing the CNT nucleation efficiency, in spite of NH 3 being a stronger reducing agent for iron. Insights from this study are applicable to improving CNT yield and productivity in both batch-style and continuous processes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microscopic mechanisms underpinning the spontaneous surface passivation of metals from ubiquitous water have remained largely elusive. Here, using in situ environmental electron microscopy to atomically monitor the reaction dynamics between aluminum surfaces and water vapor, we provide direct experimental evidence that the surface passivation results in a bilayer oxide film consisting of a crystalline-like Al(OH)3 top layer and an inner layer of amorphous Al2O3. The Al(OH)3 layer maintains a constant thickness of ~5.0 Å, while the inner Al2O3 layer grows at the Al2O3/Al interface to a limiting thickness. On the basis of experimental data and atomistic modeling, we show the tunability of the dissociation pathways of H2O molecules with the Al, Al2O3, and Al(OH)3 surface terminations. The fundamental insights may have practical significance for the design of materials and reactions for two seemingly disparate but fundamentally related disciplines of surface passivation and catalytic H2 production from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]