1
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Liang K, Yuan X, Chen X, Liu B, Kim JT, Yu J, Zhao D, Li Y. A Beginner's Guide to Cryo-EM for Battery Research. NANO LETTERS 2025; 25:7210-7223. [PMID: 40261991 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c00740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/24/2025]
Abstract
Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has shown great promise in preserving and characterizing beam-sensitive battery materials and interfaces at atomic resolution. With the growing interest in adopting cryo-EM for battery research, this review provides detailed and practical guidance for researchers on cryo-EM workflows including sample preparation and transfer, imaging, data acquisition, and analysis. Strategies for minimizing artifacts during sample preparation and imaging processes are discussed along with approaches to address potential pitfalls in data analysis to ensure accurate interpretation. Finally, this review explores the challenges and opportunities for advancing the cryo-EM technique to further enhance its impact on future developments in battery research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keyue Liang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Xintong Yuan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Jung Tae Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Jiayi Yu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Dingyi Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Yuzhang Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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2
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Dai S, Yang C, Wang Y, Jiang Y, Zeng L. In Situ TEM Studies of Tunnel-Structured Materials for Alkali Metal-Ion Batteries. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2025; 12:e2500513. [PMID: 40232111 PMCID: PMC12097121 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202500513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2025] [Revised: 03/11/2025] [Indexed: 04/16/2025]
Abstract
Tunnel-structured materials have garnered significant attention as promising candidates for high-performance rechargeable batteries, owing to their unique structural characteristics that facilitate efficient ionic transport. However, understanding the dynamic processes of ionic transport within these tunnels is crucial for their further development and performance optimization. Analytical in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has demonstrated its effectiveness as a powerful tool for visualizing the complex ionic transport processes in real time. In this review, we summarize the state-of-the-art in situ tracking of ionic transport processes in tunnel-structured materials for alkali metal-ion batteries (AMIBs) by TEM observation at the atomic scale, elucidating the fundamental issues pertaining to phase transformations, structural evolution, interfacial reactions and degradation mechanisms. This review covers a wide range of electrode and electrolyte materials used in AMIBs, highlighting the versatility and general applicability of in situ TEM as a powerful tool for elucidating the fundamental mechanisms underlying the performance of AMIBs. Furthermore, this work critically discusses current challenges and future research directions, offering perspectives on the development of next-generation battery materials through advanced in situ characterization techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuge Dai
- Key Laboratory of Material Physics of Ministry of Education, School of PhysicsZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou450052P. R. China
| | - Chenke Yang
- Key Laboratory of Material Physics of Ministry of Education, School of PhysicsZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou450052P. R. China
| | - Ye Wang
- Key Laboratory of Material Physics of Ministry of Education, School of PhysicsZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou450052P. R. China
| | - Yunrui Jiang
- Department of Electrical and Computer EngineeringUniversity of California San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia92093USA
| | - Longhui Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Material Physics of Ministry of Education, School of PhysicsZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou450052P. R. China
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3
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Perxés Perich M, Lankman JW, Keijzer CJ, van der Hoeven JES. In Situ Gas-Phase 4D-STEM for Strain Mapping during Hydride Formation in Palladium Nanocubes. NANO LETTERS 2025; 25:5444-5451. [PMID: 40129285 PMCID: PMC11969644 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c00702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2025] [Revised: 03/20/2025] [Accepted: 03/20/2025] [Indexed: 03/26/2025]
Abstract
The uptake and release of hydrogen are key parameters for hydrogen storage materials. Lattice strain offers a powerful way to tune hydride formation in metal nanoparticles. However, the role of strain on hydride formation is difficult to assess on a single nanoparticle level due to the lack of in situ characterization tools to quantify strain in the presence of a gas. Here, we achieve a dynamic, in situ study on the reversible hydride formation in individual palladium nanocubes by applying 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) in the presence of 1 bar H2 and quantitatively assess the lattice strain with subnanometer resolution. Upon hydride formation at 125 °C, the Pd lattice expands by ∼3.1% and relaxes back upon hydrogen desorption at 200 °C. Our in situ 4D-STEM approach is relevant to a wide range of nanoparticle systems and applications, including catalyst- and gas-sensing materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Perxés Perich
- Materials Chemistry and Catalysis,
Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan-Willem Lankman
- Materials Chemistry and Catalysis,
Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Claudia J. Keijzer
- Materials Chemistry and Catalysis,
Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jessi E. S. van der Hoeven
- Materials Chemistry and Catalysis,
Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
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4
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Cheng D, Hong J, Lee D, Lee SY, Zheng H. In Situ TEM Characterization of Battery Materials. Chem Rev 2025; 125:1840-1896. [PMID: 39902621 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2025]
Abstract
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is an indispensable analytical technique in materials research as it probes material information down to the atomic level and can be utilized to examine dynamic phenomena during material transformations. In situ TEM resolves transient metastable states via direct observation of material dynamics under external stimuli. With innovative sample designs developed over the past decades, advanced in situ TEM has enabled emulation of battery operation conditions to unveil nanoscale changes within electrodes, at interfaces, and in electrolytes, rendering it a unique tool to offer unequivocal insights of battery materials that are beam-sensitive, air-sensitive, or that contain light elements, etc. In this review, we first briefly outline the history of advanced electron microscopy along with battery research, followed by an introduction to various in situ TEM sample cell configurations. We provide a comprehensive review on in situ TEM studies of battery materials for lithium batteries and beyond (e.g., sodium batteries and other battery chemistries) via open-cell and closed-cell in situ TEM approaches. At the end, we raise several unresolved points regarding sample preparation protocol, imaging conditions, etc., for in situ TEM experiments. We also provide an outlook on the next-stage development of in situ TEM for battery material study, aiming to foster closer collaboration between in situ TEM and battery research communities for mutual progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diyi Cheng
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Jinseok Hong
- Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Daewon Lee
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Seung-Yong Lee
- Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
- Department of Battery Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Haimei Zheng
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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5
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Lee M, Jeon Y, Kim S, Jung I, Kang S, Jeong SH, Park J. Unravelling complex mechanisms in materials processes with cryogenic electron microscopy. Chem Sci 2025; 16:1017-1035. [PMID: 39697416 PMCID: PMC11651391 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc05188b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2024] [Accepted: 12/02/2024] [Indexed: 12/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Investigating nanoscale structural variations, including heterogeneities, defects, and interfacial characteristics, is crucial for gaining insight into material properties and functionalities. Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is developing as a powerful tool in materials science particularly for non-invasively understanding nanoscale structures of materials. These advancements bring us closer to the ultimate goal of correlating nanoscale structures to bulk functional outcomes. However, while understanding mechanisms from structural information requires analysis that closely mimics operation conditions, current challenges in cryo-EM imaging and sample preparation hinder the extraction of detailed mechanistic insights. In this Perspective, we discuss the innovative strategies and the potential for using cryo-EM for revealing mechanisms in materials science, with examples from high-resolution imaging, correlative elemental analysis, and three-dimensional and time-resolved analysis. Furthermore, we propose improvements in cryo-sample preparation, optimized instrumentation setup for imaging, and data interpretation techniques to enable the wider use of cryo-EM and achieve deeper context into materials to bridge structural observations with mechanistic understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minyoung Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Yonggoon Jeon
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, Korea Military Academy (KMA) Seoul 01805 Republic of Korea
| | - Sungin Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Ihnkyung Jung
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Sungsu Kang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago Chicago IL 60637 USA
| | - Seol-Ha Jeong
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Jungwon Park
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
- Institute of Engineering Research, Seoul National University Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
- Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University Suwon 16229 Republic of Korea
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6
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Zheng W, Kang J, Niu K, Ophus C, Chan EM, Ercius P, Wang LW, Wu J, Zheng H. Reversible phase transformations between Pb nanocrystals and a viscous liquid-like phase. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn6426. [PMID: 38896628 PMCID: PMC11186508 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn6426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Phase transformations have been a prominent topic of study for both fundamental and applied science. Solid-liquid reaction-induced phase transformations can be hard to characterize, and the transformation mechanisms are often not fully understood. Here, we report reversible phase transformations between a metal (Pb) nanocrystal and a viscous liquid-like phase unveiled by in situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy. The reversible phase transformations are obtained by modulating the electron current density (between 1000 and 3000 electrons Å-2 s-1). The metal-organic viscous liquid-like phase exhibits short-range ordering with a preferred Pb-Pb distance of 0.5 nm. Assisted by density functional theory and molecular dynamics calculations, we show that the viscous liquid-like phase results from the reactions of Pb with the CH3O fragments from the triethylene glycol solution under electron beam irradiation. Such reversible phase transformations may find broad implementations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Zheng
- School of Energy and Power Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, China
| | - Jun Kang
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100193, China
- Department of Physics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Kaiyang Niu
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Colin Ophus
- National Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Emory M. Chan
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Peter Ercius
- National Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Lin-Wang Wang
- Institute of Semiconductors, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Junqiao Wu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Haimei Zheng
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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7
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Liu C, Lin O, Pidaparthy S, Ni H, Lyu Z, Zuo JM, Chen Q. 4D-STEM Mapping of Nanocrystal Reaction Dynamics and Heterogeneity in a Graphene Liquid Cell. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:3890-3897. [PMID: 38526426 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c05015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Chemical reaction kinetics at the nanoscale are intertwined with heterogeneity in structure and composition. However, mapping such heterogeneity in a liquid environment is extremely challenging. Here we integrate graphene liquid cell (GLC) transmission electron microscopy and four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy to image the etching dynamics of gold nanorods in the reaction media. Critical to our experiment is the small liquid thickness in a GLC that allows the collection of high-quality electron diffraction patterns at low dose conditions. Machine learning-based data-mining of the diffraction patterns maps the three-dimensional nanocrystal orientation, groups spatial domains of various species in the GLC, and identifies newly generated nanocrystallites during reaction, offering a comprehensive understanding on the reaction mechanism inside a nanoenvironment. This work opens opportunities in probing the interplay of structural properties such as phase and strain with solution-phase reaction dynamics, which is important for applications in catalysis, energy storage, and self-assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Oliver Lin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Saran Pidaparthy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Haoyang Ni
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zhiheng Lyu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jian-Min Zuo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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8
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Wang Z, Zhai W, Yu Y. Revealing the Distribution of Lithium Compounds in Lithium Dendrites by Four-Dimensional Electron Microscopy Analysis. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:2537-2543. [PMID: 38372692 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c04537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Characterizing the microstructure of radiation- and chemical-sensitive lithium dendrites and its solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is an important task when investigating the performance and reliability of lithium-ion batteries. Widely used methods, such as cryogenic high-resolution transmission electron microscopy as well as related spectroscopy, are able to reveal the local structure at nanometer and atomic scale; however, these methods are unable to show the distribution of various crystal phases along the dendrite in a large field of view. In this work, two types of four-dimensional electron microscopy diffractive imaging methods, i.e., scanning electron nanodiffraction (SEND) and scanning convergent beam electron diffraction (SCBED), are employed to show a new pathway on characterizing the sensitive lithium dendrite samples at room temperature and in a large field of view. Combining with the non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm, orientations of different lithium metal grains along the lithium dendrite as well as different lithium compounds in the SEI layer are clearly identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Wang
- School of Physical Science and Technology & Shanghai Key Laboratory of High-resolution Electron Microscopy, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wenbo Zhai
- School of Physical Science and Technology & Shanghai Key Laboratory of High-resolution Electron Microscopy, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yi Yu
- School of Physical Science and Technology & Shanghai Key Laboratory of High-resolution Electron Microscopy, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
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9
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Peng X, Shangguan J, Zhang Q, Hauwiller M, Yu H, Nie Y, Bustillo KC, Alivisatos AP, Asta M, Zheng H. Unveiling Corrosion Pathways of Sn Nanocrystals through High-Resolution Liquid Cell Electron Microscopy. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:1168-1175. [PMID: 38251890 PMCID: PMC10835717 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c03913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Unveiling materials' corrosion pathways is significant for understanding the corrosion mechanisms and designing corrosion-resistant materials. Here, we investigate the corrosion behavior of Sn@Ni3Sn4 and Sn nanocrystals in an aqueous solution in real time by using high-resolution liquid cell transmission electron microscopy. Our direct observation reveals an unprecedented level of detail on the corrosion of Sn metal with/without a coating of Ni3Sn4 at the nanometric and atomic levels. The Sn@Ni3Sn4 nanocrystals exhibit "pitting corrosion", which is initiated at the defect sites in the Ni3Sn4 protective layer. The early stage isotropic etching transforms into facet-dependent etching, resulting in a cavity terminated with low-index facets. The Sn nanocrystals under fast etching kinetics show uniform corrosion, and smooth surfaces are obtained. Sn nanocrystals show "creeping-like" etching behavior and rough surfaces. This study provides critical insights into the impacts of coating, defects, and ion diffusion on corrosion kinetics and the resulting morphologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxing Peng
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Junyi Shangguan
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Qiubo Zhang
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Matthew Hauwiller
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Haobo Yu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Failure, Corrosion and Protection of Oil/Gas Facility Materials, College of New Energy and Materials, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, Beijing 102249, China
| | - Yifan Nie
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Karen C Bustillo
- National Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - A Paul Alivisatos
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Mark Asta
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Haimei Zheng
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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10
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Lee M, Lee SY, Kang MH, Won TK, Kang S, Kim J, Park J, Ahn DJ. Observing growth and interfacial dynamics of nanocrystalline ice in thin amorphous ice films. Nat Commun 2024; 15:908. [PMID: 38291035 PMCID: PMC10827800 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45234-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Ice crystals at low temperatures exhibit structural polymorphs including hexagonal ice, cubic ice, or a hetero-crystalline mixture of the two phases. Despite the significant implications of structure-dependent roles of ice, mechanisms behind the growths of each polymorph have been difficult to access quantitatively. Using in-situ cryo-electron microscopy and computational ice-dynamics simulations, we directly observe crystalline ice growth in an amorphous ice film of nanoscale thickness, which exhibits three-dimensional ice nucleation and subsequent two-dimensional ice growth. We reveal that nanoscale ice crystals exhibit polymorph-dependent growth kinetics, while hetero-crystalline ice exhibits anisotropic growth, with accelerated growth occurring at the prismatic planes. Fast-growing facets are associated with low-density interfaces that possess higher surface energy, driving tetrahedral ordering of interfacial H2O molecules and accelerating ice growth. These findings, based on nanoscale observations, improve our understanding on early stages of ice formation and mechanistic roles of the ice interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minyoung Lee
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute of Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Yup Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- KU-KIST Graduate school of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- The w:i Interface Augmentation Center, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Ho Kang
- Department of Biomedical-Chemical Engineering, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon-si, 14662, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon-si, 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Kyung Won
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- The w:i Interface Augmentation Center, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungsu Kang
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute of Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Joodeok Kim
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute of Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungwon Park
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute of Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Institute of Engineering Research, College of Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon-si, 16229, Republic of Korea.
| | - Dong June Ahn
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
- KU-KIST Graduate school of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
- The w:i Interface Augmentation Center, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
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11
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Xie Y, Ophus C, Ercius P, Zheng H. Spatially Resolved Structural Order in Low-Temperature Liquid Electrolyte. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2023; 29:1306-1307. [PMID: 37613641 DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad067.668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yujun Xie
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- National Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Colin Ophus
- National Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Peter Ercius
- National Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Haimei Zheng
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
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12
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Xu Z, Ou Z. Direct Imaging of the Kinetic Crystallization Pathway: Simulation and Liquid-Phase Transmission Electron Microscopy Observations. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:2026. [PMID: 36903141 PMCID: PMC10004038 DOI: 10.3390/ma16052026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The crystallization of materials from a suspension determines the structure and function of the final product, and numerous pieces of evidence have pointed out that the classical crystallization pathway may not capture the whole picture of the crystallization pathways. However, visualizing the initial nucleation and further growth of a crystal at the nanoscale has been challenging due to the difficulties of imaging individual atoms or nanoparticles during the crystallization process in solution. Recent progress in nanoscale microscopy had tackled this problem by monitoring the dynamic structural evolution of crystallization in a liquid environment. In this review, we summarized several crystallization pathways captured by the liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy technique and compared the observations with computer simulation. Apart from the classical nucleation pathway, we highlight three nonclassical pathways that are both observed in experiments and computer simulations: formation of an amorphous cluster below the critical nucleus size, nucleation of the crystalline phase from an amorphous intermediate, and transition between multiple crystalline structures before achieving the final product. Among these pathways, we also highlight the similarities and differences between the experimental results of the crystallization of single nanocrystals from atoms and the assembly of a colloidal superlattice from a large number of colloidal nanoparticles. By comparing the experimental results with computer simulations, we point out the importance of theory and simulation in developing a mechanistic approach to facilitate the understanding of the crystallization pathway in experimental systems. We also discuss the challenges and future perspectives for investigating the crystallization pathways at the nanoscale with the development of in situ nanoscale imaging techniques and potential applications to the understanding of biomineralization and protein self-assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangying Xu
- Qian Weichang College, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Zihao Ou
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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