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Title: In situ observation on hydrogenation of Mg-Ni films using environmental transmission electron microscope with aberration correction

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4894101· OSTI ID:22310994
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [1]
  1. International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan)
  2. Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan)
  3. Nanostructures Research Laboratory, The Japan Fine Ceramics Center, 2-4-1 Mutsuno, Atsuta-ku, Nagoya 456-8587 (Japan)
  4. ATSUMITEC CO., LTD., Ubumi 7111, Yuto-cho, Nishi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-0192 (Japan)

In situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was performed to observe the hydrogenation of Mg-Ni films in a hydrogen atmosphere of 80–100 Pa. An aberration-corrected environmental TEM with a differential pumping system allows us to reveal the Angstrom-scale structure of the films in the initial stage of hydrogenation: first, nucleation and growth of Mg{sub 2}NiH{sub 4} crystals with a lattice spacing of 0.22 nm in an Mg-rich amorphous matrix of the film occurs within 20 s after the start of the high-resolution observation, then crystallization of MgH{sub 2} with a smaller spacing of 0.15 nm happens after approximately 1 min. Our in situ TEM method is also applicable to the analysis of other hydrogen-related materials.

OSTI ID:
22310994
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 8; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English