Linus Daniel Leonhard Duchstein

Exploring the environmental transmission electron microscope

The increasing interest and development in the field of in situ techniques have now reached a level where the idea of performing measurements under near realistic conditions has become feasible for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) while maintaining high spatial resolution. In this paper, some of the opportunities that the environmental TEM (ETEM) offers when combined with other in situ techniques will be explored, directly in the microscope, by combining electron-based and photon-based techniques and phenomena. In addition, application of adjacent setups using sophisticated transfer methods for transferring the specimen between specialized in situ equipment without compromising the concept of in situ measurements will be exploited. The opportunities and techniques are illustrated by studies of materials systems of Au/MgO and Cu(2)O in different gaseous environments.

In Situ Observation of Cu-Ni Alloy Nanoparticle Formation by X-Ray Diffraction, X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy, and Transmission Electron Microscopy: Influence of Cu/Ni Ratio

Silica‐supported, bimetallic Cu–Ni nanomaterials were prepared with different ratios of Cu to Ni by incipient wetness impregnation without a specific calcination step before reduction. Different in situ characterization techniques, in particular transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), were applied to follow the reduction and alloying process of Cu–Ni nanoparticles on silica. In situ reduction of Cu–Ni samples with structural characterization by combined synchrotron XRD and XAS reveals a strong interaction between Cu and Ni species, which results in improved reducibility of the Ni species compared with monometallic Ni. At high Ni concentrations silica‐supported Cu–Ni alloys form a homogeneous solid solution of Cu and Ni, whereas at lower Ni contents Cu and Ni are partly segregated and form metallic Cu and Cu–Ni alloy phases. Under the same reduction conditions, the particle sizes of reduced Cu–Ni alloys decrease with increasing Ni content. Estimates of the metal surface area from sulfur chemisorption and from the XRD particle size generally agree well on the trend across the composition range, but show some disparity in terms of the absolute magnitude of the metal area. This work provides practical synthesis guidelines towards preparation of Cu–Ni alloy nanomaterials with different Cu/Ni ratios, and insight into the application of different in situ techniques for characterization of the alloy formation.

Influence of preparation method on supported Cu–Ni alloys and their catalytic properties in high pressure CO hydrogenation

Silica supported Cu–Ni (20 wt% Cu + Ni on silica, molar ratio of Cu/Ni = 2) alloys are prepared via impregnation, coprecipitation, and deposition–coprecipitation methods. The approach to co-precipitate the SiO2 from Na2SiO3 together with metal precursors is found to be an efficient way to prepare high surface area silica supported catalysts (BET surface area up to 322 m2 g−1, and metal area calculated from X-ray diffraction particle size up to 29 m2 g−1). The formation of bimetallic Cu–Ni alloy nanoparticles has been studied during reduction using in situ X-ray diffraction. Compared to impregnation, the coprecipitation and deposition–coprecipitation methods are more efficient for preparation of small and homogeneous Cu–Ni alloy nanoparticles. In order to examine the stability of Cu–Ni alloys in high pressure synthesis gas conversion, they have been tested for high pressure CO hydrogenation (50 bar CO and 50 bar H2). These alloy catalysts are highly selective (more than 99 mol%) and active for methanol synthesis; however, loss of Ni caused by nickel carbonyl formation is found to be a serious issue. The Ni carbonyl formation should be considered, if Ni-containing catalysts (even in alloyed form) are used under conditions with high partial pressure of CO.

In situ ETEM synthesis of NiGa alloy nanoparticles from nitrate salt solution

Metallic alloy nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized in situ in an environmental transmission electron microscope. Atomic level characterization of the formed alloy NPs is carried out at synthesis conditions by use of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction and electron energy-loss spectroscopy.

Low-pressure ETEM Studies of Au assisted MgO Nanorod Growth

Environmental transmission electron microscopy (ETEM) studies MgO nanorod growth from Au catalyst nanoparticles in a controlled gas atmosphere have been performed, in order to elucidate the mobility of Au surface atoms and the configuration of the Au/MgO interface. MgO nanorod growth is driven by the electron beam and found to be strongly dependent on the gaseous environment in the microscope and electron beam current density.

Microstructure and hardness development in a copper-nickel diffusion gradient model system

Cu has been electrolytically coated with Ni and subsequently deformed by rotary swaging up to a strain of e=2 to create a chemical gradient at the interface of the two elements. The extend of this chemical intermixing has been investigated through Energy Dispersive X- ray (EDX) spectroscopy in the Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscope (SEM and TEM). The depth, in which intermixing takes place, is about 1pm from the interface. Because of the uniform deformation, the structure does not get elongated but rather uniformly reduced in size. Microindentation hardness measurement shows a hardness increase from 120 to 135kp/mm2 in the Cu phase with increasing strain. After annealing at 200°C for up to 4h the hardness first decreases, but raises above the value for the highly strained sample. The experimental findings are discussed with emphasis on surface mechanical alloying as a process of both scientific and technological interest.