The role of gas in determining image quality and resolution during in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy experiments

Zhu, Yuanyuan; Browning, Nigel D.

doi:10.1002/cctc.201700474

Title: The role of gas in determining image quality and resolution during in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy experiments

Journal Article · Wed May 24 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · ChemCatChem

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.201700474· OSTI ID:1360184

Zhu, Yuanyuan ^[1]; Browning, Nigel D. ^[2]

Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)

Abstract As gas–solid heterogeneous catalytic reactions are molecular in nature, a full mechanistic understanding of the process requires atomic‐scale characterization under realistic operating conditions. Although atomic resolution imaging has become routine in modern high‐vacuum (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM), both image quality and resolution nominally degrade on introduction of the reaction gases. In this work, we systematically assess the effects of different gases at various pressures on the quality and resolution of images obtained at room temperature in the annular dark field STEM imaging mode by using a differentially pumped (DP) gas cell. This imaging mode is largely free from inelastic scattering effects induced by the presence of gases and retains good imaging properties over a wide range of gas mass/pressures. We demonstrate the application of ESTEM with atomic resolution images for a complex oxide alkane oxidation catalyst MoVNbTeO _x (M1) immersed in light and heavy gas environments.

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Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830; the Chemical Imaging Initiative

OSTI ID:: 1360184

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1393996

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA-126401

Journal Information:: ChemCatChem, Vol. 9, Issue 18; ISSN 1867-3880

Publisher:: ChemPubSoc EuropeCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 7 works

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