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When high-energy electrons from a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) are incident on a liquid, the vast majority of the chemical reactions that are observed are induced by the radiolysis breakdown of the liquid molecules. In the study of liquids, the radiolysis products of pure water are well known, and their rate of formation for a given flux of high-energy electrons has been studied intensively over the last few years for uniform TEM illumination. In this paper, we demonstrate that the temporal and spatial distribution of the electron illumination can significantly affect the final density of radiolysis products in water and even change the type of reaction taking place. We simulate the complex array of possible spatial/temporal distributions of electrons that are accessible experimentally by controlling the size, the scan rate and the hopping distance of the electron probe in STEM mode and then compare the results to the uniformly illuminated TEM mode of imaging. By distributing the electron dose both spatially and temporally in the STEM through a randomised “spot-scan” mode of imaging, the diffusion overlap of the radiolysis products can be reduced, and the resulting reactions can be more readily controlled. This control allows the resolution of the images to be separated from the speed of the induced reaction (which is based on beam current alone) and this facet of the experiment will allow a wide range of chemical reactions to be uniquely tailored and observed in all liquid cell STEM experiments.

A major challenge for lithium-ion batteries based on nickel-rich layered oxide cathodes is capacity fading. While chemo-mechanical degradation and/or structural transformation are widely considered responsible for degradation, a comprehensive understanding of this process is still not complete. For the stable performance of these cathode materials, aluminium (Al) plays a crucial role, not only as a current collector but also as substitutional element for the transition metals in the cathodes and a protective oxide coating (as Al2O3). However, excess Al can be detrimental due to both its redox inactive nature in the cathode and the insulating nature of Al2O3. In this work, we report an analysis of the Al content in two different types of nickel-rich manganese cobalt oxide cathode materials after battery cycling. Our results indicate a significant thickening of Al-containing phases on the surface of the NMC811 electrode. Similar results are observed from commercial batteries (a mixture of NMC532 and LiMn2O4) that were analysed before use and at the end of life, where Al-containing phases were found to increase significantly at surfaces and grain boundaries. Considering the detrimental effects of the excess Al in the nickel-rich cathodes, our observation of increased Al content via battery cycling is believed to bring a new perspective to the ongoing discussions regarding the capacity fading phenomenon of nickel-rich layered oxide materials as part of their complex degradation mechanisms.

Beam damage caused during acquisition of the highest resolution images is the current limitation in the vast majority of experiments performed in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). While the principles behind the processes of knock-on and radiolysis damage are well-known (as are other contributing effects, such as heat and electric fields), understanding how and especially when beam damage is distributed across the entire sample volume during an experiment has not been examined in detail. Here we use standard models for damage and diffusion to elucidate how beam damage spreads across the sample as a function of the microscope conditions to determine an "optimum" sampling approach that maximises the high-resolution information in any image acquisition. We find that the standard STEM approach of scanning an image sequentially accelerates damage because of increased overlap of diffusion processes. These regions of accelerated damage can be significantly decelerated by increasing the distance between the acquired pixels in the scan, forming a "spotscan" mode of acquisition. The optimum distance between these pixels can be broadly defined by the fundamental properties of each material, allowing experiments to be designed for specific beam sensitive materials. As an added bonus, if we use inpainting to reconstruct the sparse distribution of pixels in the image we can significantly increase the speed of the STEM process, allowing dynamic phenomena, and the onset of damage, to be studied directly.

Insights into the dynamics of electrochemical processes are critically needed to improve our fundamental understanding of electron, charge, and mass transfer mechanisms and reaction kinetics that influence a broad range of applications, from the functionality of electrical energy-storage and conversion devices (e.g., batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors), to materials degradation issues (e.g., corrosion and oxidation), and materials synthesis (e.g., electrodeposition). To unravel these processes, in situ electrochemical scanning/transmission electron microscopy (ec-S/TEM) was developed to permit detailed site-specific characterization of evolving electrochemical processes that occur at electrode–electrolyte interfaces in their native electrolyte environment, in real time and at high-spatial resolution. This approach utilizes “closed-form” microfabricated electrochemical cells that couple the capability for quantitative electrochemical measurements with high spatial and temporal resolution imaging, spectroscopy, and diffraction. In this article, we review the state-of-the-art instrumentation for in situ ec-S/TEM and how this approach has resulted in new observations of electrochemical processes.

Electrodeposition is widely used to fabricate tunable nanostructured materials in applications ranging from biosensing to energy conversion. A model based on 3D island growth is widely accepted in the explanation of the initial stages of nucleation and growth in electrodeposition. However, there are regions in the electrodeposition parameter space where this model becomes inapplicable. We use liquid cell transmission electron microscopy along with post situ scanning electron microscopy to investigate electrodeposition in this parameter space, focusing on the effect of the supporting electrolyte, and to shed light on the nucleation and growth of palladium. Using a collection of electron microscopy images and current time transients recorded during electrodeposition, we discover that electrochemical aggregative growth, rather than 3D island growth, best describes the electrodeposition process. We then use this model to explain the change in the morphology of palladium electrodeposits from spherical to open clusters with nonspherical morphology when HCl is added to the electrolyte solution. The enhanced understanding of the early stages of palladium nucleation and growth and the role of electrolyte in this process provides a systematic route toward the electrochemical fabrication of nanostructured materials.

Electrolyte-filled subnanometre pores exhibit exciting physics and play an increasingly important role in science and technology. In supercapacitors, for instance, ultranarrow pores provide excellent capacitive characteristics. However, ions experience difficulties in entering and leaving such pores, which slows down charging and discharging processes. In an earlier work we showed for a simple model that a slow voltage sweep charges ultranarrow pores quicker than an abrupt voltage step. A slowly applied voltage avoids ionic clogging and co-ion trapping - a problem known to occur when the applied potential is varied too quickly - causing sluggish dynamics. Herein, we verify this finding experimentally. Guided by theoretical considerations, we also develop a non-linear voltage sweep and demonstrate, with molecular dynamics simulations, that it can charge a nanopore even faster than the corresponding optimized linear sweep. For discharging we find, with simulations and in experiments, that if we reverse the applied potential and then sweep it to zero, the pores lose their charge much quicker than they do for a short-circuited discharge over their internal resistance. Our findings open up opportunities to greatly accelerate charging and discharging of subnanometre pores without compromising the capacitive characteristics, improving their importance for energy storage, capacitive deionization, and electrochemical heat harvesting., Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation), Projekt DEAL

Ni-rich layered cathode materials are among the most promising candidates for high-energy-density Li-ion batteries, yet their degradation mechanisms are still poorly understood. We report a structure-driven degradation mechanism for NMC811 (LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2), in which a proportion of the material exhibits a lowered accessible state of charge at the end of charging after repetitive cycling and becomes fatigued. Operando synchrotron long-duration X-ray diffraction enabled by a laser-thinned coin cell shows the emergence and growth in the concentration of this fatigued phase with cycle number. This degradation is structure driven and is not solely due to kinetic limitations or intergranular cracking: no bulk phase transformations, no increase in Li/Ni antisite mixing and no notable changes in the local structure or Li-ion mobility of the bulk are seen in aged NMCs. Instead, we propose that this degradation stems from the high interfacial lattice strain between the reconstructed surface and the bulk layered structure that develops when the latter is at states of charge above a distinct threshold of approximately 75%. This mechanism is expected to be universal in Ni-rich layered cathodes. Our findings provide fundamental insights into strategies to help mitigate this degradation process. Ni-rich layered cathode materials are promising for high-energy-density Li-ion batteries, but their degradation mechanisms are still poorly understood. A structure-driven mechanism with a lowered accessible state of charge after repetitive cycling is proposed for a typical NMC811 cathode.

Through solar, wind, or geothermal reallocation sources, heat transformation via adsorption-based systems provides the means to address the high energy global demand from refrigeration and cooling. However, improvements toward a suitable, high performing adsorbent–refrigerant working pair must be made to boost the applicability of such systems. For the first time, a series of mesoporous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been tested for R134a fluorocarbon adsorption for this purpose. Each of the selected MOFs exhibit excellent, reversible R134a adsorption. Among them, NU-1000 provided an exceptional fluorocarbon uptake of ∼170 wt % near saturation, which is among the highest values reported so far for MOFs. Exhibiting appropriate equilibrium isotherm behavior and working capacities as large as 125 wt %, it is evident that mesoporous MOFs—especially those with hierarchical structure—are promising candidates for chiller applications. Such high performance materials provide significant potential for the de...

Developing the ability to synthesize compositionally and morphologically well-defined gibbsite particles with high yield is an ongoing need that has not yet achieved the required level of rational design. Here we report optimization of a clean inorganic synthesis route based on statistical experimental design examining the influence of Al(OH)3 gel precursor concentration, pH, and aging time at temperature. At 80 °C, the optimum synthesis conditions of gel concentration at 0.5 M, pH at 9.2, and time at 72 h maximized the reaction yield up to ∼88%. The resulting gibbsite product is composed of highly uniform euhedral hexagonal nanoplates within a basal plane diameter range of 200–400 nm. The independent roles of key system variables in the growth mechanism are considered. On the basis of these optimized experimental conditions, the synthesis procedure, which is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly, has the potential for mass production scale-up of high quality gibbsite material for various funda...

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), with their well-ordered pore networks and tunable surface chemistries, offer a versatile platform for preparing well-defined nanostructures wherein functionality such as catalysis can be incorporated. Notably, atomic layer deposition (ALD) in MOFs has recently emerged as a versatile approach to functionalize MOF surfaces with a wide variety of catalytic metal-oxo species. Understanding the structure of newly deposited species and how they are tethered within the MOF is critical to understanding how these components couple to govern the active material properties. By combining local and long-range structure probes, including X-ray absorption spectroscopy, pair distribution function analysis, and difference envelope density analysis, with electron microscopy imaging and computational modeling, we resolve the precise atomic structure of metal-oxo species deposited in the MOF NU-1000 through ALD. These analyses demonstrate that deposition of NiOxHy clusters occurs selectively ...

Copper oxide clusters synthesized via atomic layer deposition on the nodes of the metal–organic framework (MOF) NU-1000 are active for oxidation of methane to methanol under mild reaction conditions. Analysis of chemical reactivity, in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations are used to determine structure/activity relations in the Cu-NU-1000 catalytic system. The Cu-loaded MOF contained Cu-oxo clusters of a few Cu atoms. The Cu was present under ambient conditions as a mixture of ∼15% Cu+ and ∼85% Cu2+. The oxidation of methane on Cu-NU-1000 was accompanied by the reduction of 9% of the Cu in the catalyst from Cu2+ to Cu+. The products, methanol, dimethyl ether, and CO2, were desorbed with the passage of 10% water/He at 135 °C, giving a carbon selectivity for methane to methanol of 45–60%. Cu oxo clusters stabilized in NU-1000 provide an active, first generation MOF-based, selective methane oxidation catalyst.

A Keggin-type polyoxometalate (H3PW12O40) was incorporated into a mesoporous Zr-based MOF (NU-1000) via an impregnation method in aqueous media, resulting in the hybrid material, PW12@NU-1000. The POM@MOF composite was characterized by a suite of physical methods, indicating the retention of crystallinity and high porosity of the parent MOF. The hybrid material was also stable to leaching in aqueous media at varying pH. Finally, the material was tested as a heterogeneous catalyst for the oxidation of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide using hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant. PW12@NU-1000 was shown to have a higher catalytic activity than either of the individual constituents alone.

In recent years, a wealth of new desalination technologies based on reversible electrochemical redox reactions has emerged. Among them, the use of redox-active electrolytes is highly attractive due...

Colloidal processes such as nucleation, growth, ripening, and dissolution are fundamental to the synthesis and application of engineered nanoparticles, as well as numerous natural systems. In nanocolloids consisting of a dispersion of nanoparticles in solution, colloidal stability is influenced by factors including the particle surface facet and capping layer, and local temperature, chemistry, and acidity. In this paper, we investigate colloidal stability through the real-time manipulation of nanoparticles using in situ liquid cell Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM). In a distribution of uniform iron oxide nanoparticles, we use the electron beam to precisely control the local chemistry of the solution and observe the critical role that surface chemistry plays in nanoparticle stability. By functionalizing the nanoparticle surfaces with charged amino acids and peptides, stability can be tuned to promote dissolution, growth, or agglomeration, either permanently or reversibly. STEM imaging is used to quantify kinetics of individual nanoparticles subject to local variations in chemistry. These measurements of dissolution and growth rates of iron oxide nanoparticles provide insights into nanoparticle stability relevant to synthesis and functionalization for biomedical applications.

Mg batteries have potential advantages in terms of safety, cost, and reliability over existing battery technologies, but their practical implementations are hindered by the lack of amenable high-voltage cathode materials. The development of cathode materials is complicated by limited understandings of the unique divalent Mg2+ ion electrochemistry and the interaction/transportation of Mg2+ ions with host materials. Here, it is shown that highly dispersed vanadium oxide (V2O5) nanoclusters supported on porous carbon frameworks are able to react with Mg2+ ions reversibly in electrolytes that are compatible with Mg metal, and exhibit high capacities and good reaction kinetics. They are able to deliver initial capacities exceeding 300 mAh g−1 at 40 mA g−1 in the voltage window of 0.5 to 2.8 V. The combined electron microscope, spectroscopy, and electrochemistry characterizations suggest a surface-controlled pseudocapacitive electrochemical reaction, and may be best described as a molecular energy storage mechanism. This work can provide a new approach of using the molecular mechanism for pseudocapacitive storage of Mg2+ for Mg batteries cathode materials.

We demonstrate that silanization can control the adhesion of nanostructures to the SiN windows compatible with liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy (LC-TEM). Formation of an (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) self-assembled monolayer on a SiN window, producing a surface decorated with amino groups, permits strong adhesion of Au nanoparticles to the window. Many of these nanoparticles remain static, undergoing minimal translation or rotation during LC-TEM up to high electron beam current densities due to the strong interaction between the APTES amino group and Au. We then use this technique to perform a direct comparative LC-TEM study on the behavior of ligand and nonligand-coated Au nanoparticles in a Au growth solution. While the ligand coated nanoparticles remain consistent even under high electron beam current densities, the naked nanoparticles acted as sites for secondary Au nucleation. These nucleated particles decorated the parent nanoparticle surface, forming consecutive monolayer assemblies of ∼2 nm diameter nanoparticles, which sinter into the parent particle when the electron beam was shut off. This method for facile immobilization of nanostructures for LC-TEM study will permit more sophisticated and controlled in situ experiments into the properties of solid-liquid interfaces in the future.

Summary Highly efficient cell-free enzymatic systems are typically difficult to achieve in traditional immobilized enzyme systems because of the lack of optimal spatial control of enzyme localization, substrate and product diffusion, and enzyme and coenzyme accessibility. Here, we report a strategy for expanding the pore apertures (from 3.3 to 6.7 nm) of a series of Zr-based metallic-organic frameworks (MOFs) (termed NU-100x , x = 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) with interconnected hierarchical pores by maintaining precise control of torsional angles associated with the linkers. As a proof of concept, we use the expanded NU-100x MOF structures to encapsulate lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and demonstrate the use of the captured protein in a cell-free biosynthetic catalytic system. Remarkably, LDH immobilized in the large pores of the MOF is accessible to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide coenzymes (NAD and NADH), allowing for in situ coenzyme regeneration leading to higher activity than that of the free enzyme.

Magnesium batteries are an energy storage system that potentially offers high energy density, but development of new high voltage cathode materials and understanding of their electrochemical mechanism are critical to realize its benefits. Herein, we synthesize the layered MnO2 polymorph (the birnessite phase) as a nanostructured phase supported on conductive carbon cloth and compare its electrochemistry and structural changes when it is cycled as a positive electrode material in a Mg-ion battery under nonaqueous or aqueous conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies show that a conversion mechanism takes place during cycling in a nonaqueous electrolyte, with the formation of MnOOH, MnO, and Mg(OH)2 upon discharge. In aqueous cells, on the other hand, intercalation of Mg2+ ions takes place, accompanied by expulsion of interlayer water and transformation to a spinel-like phase as evidenced by X-ray diffraction. Both systems are structurally quasireversible. The ...

Intricacy anchored by uranium Metal-organic frameworks generally have one level of assembly complexity: Organic linkers join inorganic nodes in a repeating lattice. Li et al. created a structure composed of cuboctahedra, assembled from uranium cations and organic linkers, that shared triangular faces to form prisms. These structures formed cages, which in turn joined to make tetrahedra that assembled with a diamond-lattice topology. This hierarchical open structure generated a huge unit cell with more than 800 nodes and linkers, containing internal cavities with diameters of 5 and 6 nm. Science , this issue p. 624

One of the most promising means to increase the energy density of state-of-the-art lithium Li-ion batteries is to replace the graphite anode with a Li metal anode. While the direct use of Li metal may be highly advantageous, at present its practical application is limited by issues related to dendrite growth and low Coulombic efficiency, CE. Here operando electrochemical scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is used to directly image the deposition/stripping of Li at the anode-electrolyte interface in a Li-based battery. A non-aqueous electrolyte containing small amounts of H2O as an additive results in remarkably different deposition/stripping properties as compared to the “dry” electrolyte when operated under identical electrochemical conditions. The electrolyte with the additive deposits more Li during the first cycle, with the grain sizes of the Li deposits being significantly larger and more variable. The stripping of the Li upon discharge is also more complete, i.e., there is a higher cycling CE. This suggests that larger grain sizes are indicative of better performance by leading to more uniform Li deposition and an overall decrease in the formation of Li dendrites and side reactions with electrolyte components, thus potentially paving the way for the direct use of Li metal in battery technologies.

The rational design of improved electrode–electrolyte interfaces (EEI) for energy storage is critically dependent on a molecular-level understanding of ionic interactions and nanoscale phenomena. The presence of non-redox active species at EEI has been shown to strongly influence Faradaic efficiency and long-term operational stability during energy storage processes. Herein, we achieve substantially higher performance and long-term stability of EEI prepared with highly dispersed discrete redox-active cluster anions (50 ng of pure ∼0.75 nm size molybdenum polyoxometalate (POM) anions on 25 μg (∼0.2 wt%) carbon nanotube (CNT) electrodes) by complete elimination of strongly coordinating non-redox species through ion soft landing (SL). Electron microscopy provides atomically resolved images of a uniform distribution of individual POM species soft landed directly on complex technologically relevant CNT electrodes. In this context, SL is established as a versatile approach for the controlled design of novel surfaces for both fundamental and applied research in energy storage., The design and understanding of electrode–electrolyte interfaces is important for the development of improved energy storage devices. Here, the authors study the controlled deposition of molybdenum polyoxometalate anions onto carbon nanotube electrodes, and show this can result in increased specific capacitance.

Recently, there has been a transition from fully carbonaceous positive electrodes for the aprotic lithium oxygen battery to alternative materials and the use of redox mediator additives, in an attempt to lower the large electrochemical overpotentials associated with the charge reaction. However, the stabilizing or catalytic effect of these materials can become complicated due to the presence of major side-reactions observed during dis(charge). Here, we isolate the charge reaction from the discharge by utilizing electrodes prefilled with commercial lithium peroxide with a crystallite size of about 200-800 nm. Using a combination of S/TEM, online mass spectrometry, XPS, and electrochemical methods to probe the nature of surface films on carbon and conductive Ti-based nanoparticles, we show that oxygen evolution from lithium peroxide is strongly dependent on their surface properties. Insulating TiO2 surface layers on TiC and TiN - even as thin as 3 nm-can completely inhibit the charge reaction under these conditions. On the other hand, TiC, which lacks this oxide film, readily facilitates oxidation of the bulk Li2O2 crystallites, at a much lower overpotential relative to carbon. Since oxidation of lithium oxygen battery cathodes is inevitable in these systems, precise control of the surface chemistry at the nanoscale becomes of upmost importance.