Vibrational Spectroscopy of Water with High Spatial Resolution

Journal Article · 29 July 2018 · Advanced Materials

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201802702 · OSTI ID:1462280

Jokisaari, Jacob R. ^[1]; Hachtel, Jordan A. ^[2]; Hu, Xuan ^[1]; Mukherjee, Arijita ^[1]; Wang, Canhui ^[1]; Konecna, Andrea ^[3]; Lovejoy, Tracy C. ^[4]; Dellby, Niklas ^[4]; Aizpurua, Javier ^[3]; Krivanek, Ondrej L. ^[4]; Idrobo, Juan‐Carlos ^[2]; Klie, Robert F. ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago IL 60607 USA
2. Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN 37831 USA
3. Center for Material Physics (CSIC‐UPV/EHU) and DIPC Donostia – San Sebastián Gipuzkoa 20018 Spain
4. Nion Company 11511 NE 118th St. Kirkland WA 98034 USA

Abstract The ability to examine the vibrational spectra of liquids with nanometer spatial resolution will greatly expand the potential to study liquids and liquid interfaces. In fact, the fundamental properties of water, including complexities in its phase diagram, electrochemistry, and bonding due to nanoscale confinement are current research topics. For any liquid, direct investigation of ordered liquid structures, interfacial double layers, and adsorbed species at liquid–solid interfaces are of interest. Here, a novel way of characterizing the vibrational properties of liquid water with high spatial resolution using transmission electron microscopy is reported. By encapsulating water between two sheets of boron nitride, the ability to capture vibrational spectra to quantify the structure of the liquid, its interaction with the liquid‐cell surfaces, and the ability to identify isotopes including H ₂ O and D ₂ O using electron energy‐loss spectroscopy is demonstrated. The electron microscope used here, equipped with a high‐energy‐resolution monochromator, is able to record vibrational spectra of liquids and molecules and is sensitive to surface and bulk morphological properties both at the nano‐ and micrometer scales. These results represent an important milestone for liquid and isotope‐labeled materials characterization with high spatial resolution, combining nanoscale imaging with vibrational spectroscopy.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1462280
• Journal Information: Advanced Materials, Journal Name: Advanced Materials Journal Issue: 36 Vol. 30; ISSN 0935-9648
• Publisher: Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
• Country of Publication: Germany
• Language: English