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Dynamic behavior of nanoscale liquids in graphene liquid cells revealed by in situ transmission electron microscopy

Journal Article · · Micron
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [2]
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Materials Sciences Division
  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Materials Sciences Division; Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
  3. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Foundry
Recent advances in graphene liquid cells for in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have opened many opportunities for the study of materials transformations and chemical reactions in liquids with high spatial resolution. However, the behavior of thin liquids encapsulated in a graphene liquid cell has not been fully understood. Here, we report real time TEM imaging of the nanoscale dynamic behavior of liquids in graphene nanocapillaries. Our observations reveal that the interfaces between liquid and gas bubble can fluctuate, leading to the generation of liquid nanodroplets near the interfaces. Liquid nanodroplets often show irregular shape with dynamic changes of their configuration under the electron beam. We consider that the dynamic motion of liquid-gas interfaces might be introduced by the electrostatic energy from transiently charged interfaces. We find that improving the wettability of graphene liquid cells by ultraviolet-ozone treatment can significantly modify the dynamic motion of the encapsulated liquids. Our study provides valuable information of the interactions between liquid and graphene under the electron beam, and it also offers key insights on the nanoscale fluid dynamics in confined spaces.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1542350
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1636688
Journal Information:
Micron, Journal Name: Micron Journal Issue: C Vol. 116; ISSN 0968-4328
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (3)

Liquid cell transmission electron microscopy and its applications journal January 2020
Graphene Liquid Cells Assembled through Loop‐Assisted Transfer Method and Located with Correlated Light‐Electron Microscopy journal February 2020
In Situ Liquid Cell TEM Studies on Etching and Growth Mechanisms of Gold Nanoparticles at a Solid–Liquid–Gas Interface journal August 2019

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