Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Gold Nanocrystal Etching as a Means of Probing the Dynamic Chemical Environment in Graphene Liquid Cell Electron Microscopy

Journal Article · · Journal of the American Chemical Society
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.9b00082· OSTI ID:1542379

Graphene liquid cell electron microscopy has the needed temporal and spatial resolution to enable the in situ observation of nanoscale dynamics in solution. Yet, the chemistry of the solution in the liquid cell during imaging is as yet poorly understood due to the generation of a complex mixture of radiolysis products by the electron beam. In this work, the etching trajectories of nanocrystals were used as a probe to determine the effect of the electron beam dose rate and preloaded etchant, FeCl3, on the chemistry of the liquid cell. Initially, illuminating the sample at a low electron beam dose rate generates hydrogen bubbles, providing a reservoir of sacrificial reductant. Increasing the electron beam dose rate leads to a constant etching rate that varies linearly with the electron beam dose rate. Comparing these conclusions with the oxidation potentials of the species in solution, the electron beam likely controls the total concentration of oxidative species in solution and FeCl3 likely controls the relative ratio of oxidative species, independently determining the etching rate and chemical potential of the reaction, respectively. Correlating these liquid cell etching results with the ex situ oxidative etching of gold nanocrystals using FeCl3 provides further insight into the liquid cell chemistry while corroborating the liquid cell dynamics with ex situ synthetic behavior. This understanding of the chemistry in the liquid cell will allow researchers to better control the liquid cell electron microscopy environment, enabling new nanoscale materials science experiments to be conducted systematically in a reproducible manner.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1542379
Journal Information:
Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal Name: Journal of the American Chemical Society Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 141; ISSN 0002-7863
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (75)

A comparison of surface forces and interfacial properties of mica in purified surfactant solutions journal February 1981
The influence of iron on water radiolysis in cement-based materials journal August 2010
Strategies for Preparing Graphene Liquid Cells for Transmission Electron Microscopy journal May 2018
Standard potentials of half-reactions involving + 1 and + 3 gold in chloride medium journal December 1962
The photo-Fenton reaction — an effective photochemical wastewater treatment process journal June 1993
Plasmonic photo-thermal therapy (PPTT) journal March 2011
Dynamic behavior of nanoscale liquids in graphene liquid cells revealed by in situ transmission electron microscopy journal January 2019
Surface and interface control of noble metal nanocrystals for catalytic and electrocatalytic applications journal April 2013
Radiolysis of silver ion solutions in ethylene glycol: solvated electron and radical scavenging yields journal February 2005
Radiation-induced synthesis of metal nanoparticles in ethers THF and PGMEA journal October 2013
Experimental procedures to mitigate electron beam induced artifacts during in situ fluid imaging of nanomaterials journal April 2013
Developing New Measurement Capabilities with Nanochannel Liquid Phase TEM journal August 2018
Direct Observation of Interactions between Nanoparticles and Nanoparticle Self-Assembly in Solution journal May 2017
Formation of Au Nanoparticles in Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy: From a Systematic Study to Engineered Nanostructures journal November 2017
Quantifying the Nucleation and Growth Kinetics of Electron Beam Nanochemistry with Liquid Cell Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy journal October 2018
Gaining Control over Radiolytic Synthesis of Uniform Sub-3-nanometer Palladium Nanoparticles: Use of Aromatic Liquids in the Electron Microscope journal February 2016
Distortion in Two-Dimensional Shapes of Merging Nanobubbles: Evidence for Anisotropic Gas Flow Mechanism journal September 2016
Observation and Quantification of Nanoscale Processes in Lithium Batteries by Operando Electrochemical (S)TEM journal February 2015
Growth of Au on Pt Icosahedral Nanoparticles Revealed by Low-Dose In Situ TEM journal March 2015
Control of Electron Beam-Induced Au Nanocrystal Growth Kinetics through Solution Chemistry journal July 2015
The Use of Graphene and Its Derivatives for Liquid-Phase Transmission Electron Microscopy of Radiation-Sensitive Specimens journal December 2016
Exploring the Formation of Symmetric Gold Nanostars by Liquid-Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy journal June 2017
Nanometer Resolution Elemental Mapping in Graphene-Based TEM Liquid Cells journal January 2018
Unraveling Kinetically-Driven Mechanisms of Gold Nanocrystal Shape Transformations Using Graphene Liquid Cell Electron Microscopy journal August 2018
Dynamics of Nanoscale Dendrite Formation in Solution Growth Revealed Through in Situ Liquid Cell Electron Microscopy journal September 2018
New Strategies for Probing Energy Systems with In Situ Liquid-Phase Transmission Electron Microscopy journal May 2018
Selectivity on Etching: Creation of High-Energy Facets on Copper Nanocrystals for CO 2 Electrochemical Reduction journal March 2016
Nanocuvette: A Functional Ultrathin Liquid Container for Transmission Electron Microscopy journal February 2017
Interactions and Attachment Pathways between Functionalized Gold Nanorods journal January 2017
Dissolution Kinetics of Oxidative Etching of Cubic and Icosahedral Platinum Nanoparticles Revealed by in Situ Liquid Transmission Electron Microscopy journal February 2017
The Science and Art of Carving Metal Nanocrystals journal January 2017
Gold Nanorod Induced Warming of Embryos from the Cryogenic State Enhances Viability journal July 2017
Dynamics and Removal Pathway of Edge Dislocations in Imperfectly Attached PbTe Nanocrystal Pairs: Toward Design Rules for Oriented Attachment journal February 2018
Preparation and Growth Mechanism of Gold Nanorods (NRs) Using Seed-Mediated Growth Method journal May 2003
Shape-Controlled Synthesis of Palladium Single-Crystalline Nanoparticles: The Effect of HCl Oxidative Etching and Facet-Dependent Catalytic Properties journal December 2013
Photochemical processes for water treatment journal March 1993
Prospects of Colloidal Nanocrystals for Electronic and Optoelectronic Applications journal January 2010
Cancer Cell Imaging and Photothermal Therapy in the Near-Infrared Region by Using Gold Nanorods journal February 2006
Universal Noble Metal Nanoparticle Seeds Realized Through Iterative Reductive Growth and Oxidative Dissolution Reactions journal May 2014
In Situ Kinetic and Thermodynamic Growth Control of Au–Pd Core–Shell Nanoparticles journal August 2018
Standard electrode potential of Fe3+ + e- = Fe2+ from 5-35.deg. journal July 1972
In Situ Study of the Growth Kinetics of Individual Island Electrodeposition of Copper journal April 2006
Electron–Water Interactions and Implications for Liquid Cell Electron Microscopy journal September 2014
Perspectives on the Physical Chemistry of Semiconductor Nanocrystals journal January 1996
Bubble and Pattern Formation in Liquid Induced by an Electron Beam journal December 2013
In situ Study of Oxidative Etching of Palladium Nanocrystals by Liquid Cell Electron Microscopy journal June 2014
Tunable Plasmonic Nanoparticles with Catalytically Active High-Index Facets journal May 2014
Direct Observation of Nanoparticle Superlattice Formation by Using Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy journal February 2012
Direct in Situ Determination of the Mechanisms Controlling Nanoparticle Nucleation and Growth journal September 2012
Tailoring Longitudinal Surface Plasmon Wavelengths, Scattering and Absorption Cross Sections of Gold Nanorods journal March 2008
Molecular layering of water at surfaces and origin of repulsive hydration forces journal November 1983
In situ microscopy of the self-assembly of branched nanocrystals in solution journal April 2016
Growth dynamics and gas transport mechanism of nanobubbles in graphene liquid cells journal February 2015
Dynamic microscopy of nanoscale cluster growth at the solid–liquid interface journal July 2003
Electron microscopy of specimens in liquid journal October 2011
Synthesis of colloidal metal and metal alloy nanoparticles for electrochemical energy applications journal January 2013
Oxidative etching for controlled synthesis of metal nanocrystals: atomic addition and subtraction journal January 2014
Electron beam induced chemistry of gold nanoparticles in saline solution journal January 2015
LXXIII.—Oxidation of tartaric acid in presence of iron journal January 1894
Radiation-induced synthesis of mono- and multi-metallic clusters and nanocolloids journal January 1998
Selective etching of gold nanorods by ferric chloride at room temperature journal January 2009
Critical Review of rate constants for reactions of hydrated electrons, hydrogen atoms and hydroxyl radicals (⋅OH/⋅O in Aqueous Solution
  • Buxton, George V.; Greenstock, Clive L.; Helman, W. Phillips
  • Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data, Vol. 17, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.555805
journal April 1988
Advanced Oxidation Processes for Organic Contaminant Destruction Based on the Fenton Reaction and Related Chemistry journal January 2006
Size effect on the melting temperature of gold particles journal June 1976
Observation of Single Colloidal Platinum Nanocrystal Growth Trajectories journal June 2009
High-Resolution EM of Colloidal Nanocrystal Growth Using Graphene Liquid Cells journal April 2012
Direction-Specific Interactions Control Crystal Growth by Oriented Attachment journal May 2012
Facet development during platinum nanocube growth journal August 2014
Opportunities and challenges in liquid cell electron microscopy journal December 2015
Single-particle mapping of nonequilibrium nanocrystal transformations journal November 2016
Imaging Nanobubbles in Water with Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy journal April 2011
Chemical Synthesis of Novel Plasmonic Nanoparticles journal May 2009
Water Radiolysis: Influence of Oxide Surfaces on H2 Production under Ionizing Radiation journal February 2011
Using Graphene Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy to Study in Situ Nanocrystal Etching journal January 2018
Hydrogen Bonds of gamma-FeOOH. journal January 1978

Cited By (4)

Liquid cell transmission electron microscopy and its applications journal January 2020
In Situ Liquid Cell TEM Studies on Etching and Growth Mechanisms of Gold Nanoparticles at a Solid–Liquid–Gas Interface journal August 2019
The radiation chemistry of focused electron-beam induced etching of copper in liquids journal January 2019
A novel ultrasensitive surface plasmon resonance-based nanosensor for nitrite detection journal January 2019

Similar Records

Elucidating the Role of Halides and Iron during Radiolysis-Driven Oxidative Etching of Gold Nanocrystals Using Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy and Pulse Radiolysis
Journal Article · Thu Jul 22 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Journal of the American Chemical Society · OSTI ID:1840951

EELS Studies of Cerium Electrolyte Reveal Substantial Solute Concentration Effects in Graphene Liquid Cells
Journal Article · Mon Mar 20 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Journal of the American Chemical Society · OSTI ID:2229056

Using Graphene Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy to Study in Situ Nanocrystal Etching
Journal Article · Thu May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Journal of Visualized Experiments · OSTI ID:1490708