Dynamic behavior of nanoscale liquids in graphene liquid cells revealed by in situ transmission electron microscopy
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Materials Sciences Division
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Materials Sciences Division; Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
- 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
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 |
Similar Records
3D Motion of DNA-Au Nanoconjugates in Graphene Liquid Cell Electron Microscopy
Using Graphene Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy to Study in Situ Nanocrystal Etching
The Use of Graphene and Its Derivatives for Liquid-Phase Transmission Electron Microscopy of Radiation-Sensitive Specimens
Journal Article
·
Tue Aug 13 20:00:00 EDT 2013
· Nano Letters
·
OSTI ID:1545122
Using Graphene Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy to Study in Situ Nanocrystal Etching
Journal Article
·
Wed May 16 20:00:00 EDT 2018
· Journal of Visualized Experiments
·
OSTI ID:1490708
The Use of Graphene and Its Derivatives for Liquid-Phase Transmission Electron Microscopy of Radiation-Sensitive Specimens
Journal Article
·
Mon Dec 26 19:00:00 EST 2016
· Nano Letters
·
OSTI ID:1532216