Revealing synergetic structural activation of a CuAu surface during water-gas shift reaction.

Bimetallic alloy catalysts show strong structural and compositional dependence on their activity, selectivity, and stability. Often referred to as the "synergetic effect" of two metal elements in the alloys, their detailed dynamic information, structurally and chemically, of catalyst surface under reaction conditions remains largely elusive. Here, using aberration-corrected environmental transmission electron microscopy, we visualize the atomic-scale synergetic surface activation of CuAu under a water­gas shift reaction condition. The unique "periodic" structural activation largely determines the dominating reaction pathway, which is related to a possible "carboxyl" reaction route corroborated by density functional theory­based calculation and ab initio molecular dynamics simulation. These results demonstrate how the alloy surface is activated and catalyzes the chemical reaction, which provides insights into catalyst design with atom precision.

Deciphering the Metal-Support Interaction of Au/ZnO Catalyst Induced by H2 and O2 Pretreatment.

Metal-support interaction (MSI) provides great possibilities to tune the activity, selectivity, and stability of heterogeneous catalysts. Herein, the Au/ZnO catalyst is prepared by commercial ZnO and chloroauric acid, and the structure evolution of the catalyst pretreated by H2 and O2 gas at varied temperature is investigated to provide mechanistic insights of MSI. It is found that the H2 treatment at 300 °C and above can induce the formation of both the ZnOx overlayer and bulk Au-Zn alloy. In contrast, the O2 treatment can form the ZnOx overlayer at 500 °C and above without the formation of Au-Zn alloy. It is also revealed that the ZnOx overlayer is dynamically stable (permeable), which can provide access for reactant molecules during the reaction process. And, the Au-Zn alloy can recover to Au and ZnO under the CO oxidation reaction condition, which can be deemed as a re-activation process that endows H2 -treated samples with the superior activity and stability.

Revealing the Dynamic Lithiation Process of Copper Disulfide by in Situ TEM.

Transition metal oxides, fluorides, and sulfides are extensively studied as candidate electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries driven by the urgency of developing next-generation higher energy density lithium batteries. These conversion-type electrode materials often require nanosized active materials to enable a "smooth" lithiation and de-lithiation process during charge/discharge cycles, determined by their size, structure, and phase. Herein, the structural and chemical changes of Copper Disulfide (CuS2 ) hollow nanoparticles during the lithiation process through an in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) method are investigated. The study finds the hollow structure of CuS2 facilitates the quick formation of fluidic Li2 S "drops," accompanied by a de-sulfurization to the Cu7 S4 phase. Meanwhile, the metallic Cu phase emerges as fine nanoparticles and grows into nano-strips, which are embedded in the Li2 S/Cu7 S4 matrix. These complex nanostructured phases and their spatial distribution can lead to a low de-lithiation barrier, enabling fast reaction kinetics.

Metal Affinity of Support Dictates Sintering of Gold Catalysts.

Sintering during heterogeneous catalytic reactions is one of the most notorious deactivation channels in catalysts of supported metal nanoparticles. It is therefore critical to understand the effect of support on the sintering behavior. Here, by using in situ aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy and computational modeling, the atomic-scale dynamic interactions are revealed between Au nanoparticles and various supports. It is found that Au nanoparticles on ceria have a smaller contact angle and are apparently less mobile, especially at surface steps when compared with those on the amorphous silica. Analogous to hydrophilicity, we attribute the origin of mobility of small nanoparticles to metal affinity, which determines the interaction between metal and support material. Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) and machine learning-based deep potential molecular dynamics (DPMD) simulations directly capture a coalescence process on the silica surface and the strong pinning of gold on ceria. The joint experimental and theoretical results on the atomic scale demonstrate the metal affinity of active and inert supports as the key descriptor pertinent to sintering and deactivation of heterogeneous catalysts.

Size-dependent dynamic structures of supported gold nanoparticles in CO oxidation reaction condition.

Gold (Au) catalysts exhibit a significant size effect, but its origin has been puzzling for a long time. It is generally believed that supported Au clusters are more or less rigid in working condition, which inevitably leads to the general speculation that the active sites are immobile. Here, by using atomic resolution in situ environmental transmission electron microscopy, we report size-dependent structure dynamics of single Au nanoparticles on ceria (CeO2) in CO oxidation reaction condition at room temperature. While large Au nanoparticles remain rigid in the catalytic working condition, ultrasmall Au clusters lose their intrinsic structures and become disordered, featuring vigorous structural rearrangements and formation of dynamic low-coordinated atoms on surface. Ab initio molecular-dynamics simulations reveal that the interaction between ultrasmall Au cluster and CO molecules leads to the dynamic structural responses, demonstrating that the shape of the catalytic particle under the working condition may totally differ from the shape under the static condition. The present observation provides insight on the origin of superior catalytic properties of ultrasmall gold clusters.

Electrolyte-Phobic Surface for the Next-Generation Nanostructured Battery Electrodes.

Nanostructured electrodes are among the most important candidates for high-capacity battery chemistry. However, the high surface area they possess causes serious issues. First, it would decrease the Coulombic efficiencies. Second, they have significant intakes of liquid electrolytes, which reduce the energy density and increase the battery cost. Third, solid-electrolyte interphase growth is accelerated, affecting the cycling stability. Therefore, the interphase chemistry regarding electrolyte contact is crucial, which was rarely studied. Here, we present a completely new strategy of limiting effective surface area by introducing an "electrolyte-phobic surface". Using this method, the electrolyte intake was limited. The initial Coulombic efficiencies were increased up to ∼88%, compared to ∼60% of the control. The electrolyte-phobic layer of Si particles is also compatible with the binder, stabilizing the electrode for long-term cycling. This study advances the understanding of interphase chemistry, and the introduction of the universal concept of electrolyte-phobicity benefits the next-generation battery designs.

Dynamic Atom Clusters on AuCu Nanoparticle Surface during CO Oxidation.

Supported alloy nanoparticles are prevailing alternative low-cost catalysts for both heterogeneous and electrochemical catalytic processes. Gas molecules selectively interacting with one metal element induces a dynamic structural change of alloy nanoparticles under reaction conditions and largely controls their catalytic properties. However, such a multicomponent dynamic-interaction-controlled evolution, both structural and chemical, remains far from clear. Herein, by using state-of-the-art environmental TEM, we directly visualize, in situ at the atomic scale, the evolution of a AuCu alloy nanoparticle supported on CeO2 during CO oxidation. We find that gas molecules can "free" metal atoms on the (010) surface and form highly mobile atom clusters. Remarkably, we discover that CO exposure induces Au segregation and activation on the nanoparticle surface, while O2 exposure leads to the segregation and oxidation of Cu on the particle surface. The as-formed Cu2O/AuCu interface may facilitate CO-O interaction corroborated by DFT calculations. These findings provide insights into the atomistic mechanisms on alloy nanoparticles during catalytic CO oxidation reaction and to a broad scope of rational design of alloy nanoparticle catalysts.

Atomic-Scale Dynamic Interaction of H_{2}O Molecules with Cu Surface.

Atomic-scale interaction of water vapor with metal surfaces beyond surface adsorption under technologically relevant conditions remains mostly unexplored. Using aberration-corrected environmental transmission electron microscopy, we reveal the dynamic surface activation of Cu by H_{2}O at elevated temperature and pressure. We find a structural transition from flat to corrugated surface for the Cu(011) under low water-vapor pressure. Increasing the water-vapor pressure leads to the surface reaction of Cu with dissociated H_{2}O, resulting in the formation of a metastable "bilayer" Cu─O─H phase. Corroborated by density functional theory and ab initio molecular dynamics calculations, the cooperative O and OH interaction with Cu is responsible for the formation and subsurface propagation of this phase.

Real-Time Atomic-Scale Visualization of Reversible Copper Surface Activation during the CO Oxidation Reaction.

By using in situ aberration-corrected environmental transmission electron microscopy, for the first time at atomic level, the dynamic evolution of the Cu surface is captured during CO oxidation. Under reaction conditions, the Cu surface is activated, typically involving 2-3 atomic layers with the formation of a reversible metastable phase that only exists during catalytic reactions. The distinctive role of CO and O2 in the surface activation is revealed, which features CO exposure to lead to surface roughening and consequently formation of low-coordinated Cu atoms, while O2 exposure induces a quasi-crystalline CuOx phase. Supported by DFT calculations, it is shown that crystalline CuOx reversibly transforms into the amorphous phase, acting as an active species to facilitate the interaction of gas reactants and catalyzing CO oxidation.

Atomic origins of water-vapour-promoted alloy oxidation.

The presence of water vapour, intentional or unavoidable, is crucial to many materials applications, such as in steam generators, turbine engines, fuel cells, catalysts and corrosion1-4. Phenomenologically, water vapour has been noted to accelerate oxidation of metals and alloys5,6. However, the atomistic mechanisms behind such oxidation remain elusive. Through direct in situ atomic-scale transmission electron microscopy observations and density functional theory calculations, we reveal that water-vapour-enhanced oxidation of a nickel-chromium alloy is associated with proton-dissolution-promoted formation, migration, and clustering of both cation and anion vacancies. Protons derived from water dissociation can occupy interstitial positions in the oxide lattice, consequently lowering vacancy formation energy and decreasing the diffusion barrier of both cations and anions, which leads to enhanced oxidation in moist environments at elevated temperatures. This work provides insights into water-vapour-enhanced alloy oxidation and has significant implications in other material and chemical processes involving water vapour, such as corrosion, heterogeneous catalysis and ionic conduction.

Complete Decomposition of Li2CO3 in Li-O2 Batteries Using Ir/B4C as Noncarbon-Based Oxygen Electrode.

Instability of carbon-based oxygen electrodes and incomplete decomposition of Li2CO3 during charge process are critical barriers for rechargeable Li-O2 batteries. Here we report the complete decomposition of Li2CO3 in Li-O2 batteries using the ultrafine iridium-decorated boron carbide (Ir/B4C) nanocomposite as a noncarbon based oxygen electrode. The systematic investigation on charging the Li2CO3 preloaded Ir/B4C electrode in an ether-based electrolyte demonstrates that the Ir/B4C electrode can decompose Li2CO3 with an efficiency close to 100% at a voltage below 4.37 V. In contrast, the bare B4C without Ir electrocatalyst can only decompose 4.7% of the preloaded Li2CO3. Theoretical analysis indicates that the high efficiency decomposition of Li2CO3 can be attributed to the synergistic effects of Ir and B4C. Ir has a high affinity for oxygen species, which could lower the energy barrier for electrochemical oxidation of Li2CO3. B4C exhibits much higher chemical and electrochemical stability than carbon-based electrodes and high catalytic activity for Li-O2 reactions. A Li-O2 battery using Ir/B4C as the oxygen electrode material shows highly enhanced cycling stability than those using the bare B4C oxygen electrode. Further development of these stable oxygen-electrodes could accelerate practical applications of Li-O2 batteries.

Single Atomic Iron Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction in Acidic Media: Particle Size Control and Thermal Activation.

It remains a grand challenge to replace platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts with earth-abundant materials for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acidic media, which is crucial for large-scale deployment of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Here, we report a high-performance atomic Fe catalyst derived from chemically Fe-doped zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) by directly bonding Fe ions to imidazolate ligands within 3D frameworks. Although the ZIF was identified as a promising precursor, the new synthetic chemistry enables the creation of well-dispersed atomic Fe sites embedded into porous carbon without the formation of aggregates. The size of catalyst particles is tunable through synthesizing Fe-doped ZIF nanocrystal precursors in a wide range from 20 to 1000 nm followed by one-step thermal activation. Similar to Pt nanoparticles, the unique size control without altering chemical properties afforded by this approach is able to increase the number of PGM-free active sites. The best ORR activity is measured with the catalyst at a size of 50 nm. Further size reduction to 20 nm leads to significant particle agglomeration, thus decreasing the activity. Using the homogeneous atomic Fe model catalysts, we elucidated the active site formation process through correlating measured ORR activity with the change of chemical bonds in precursors during thermal activation up to 1100 °C. The critical temperature to form active sites is 800 °C, which is associated with a new Fe species with a reduced oxidation number (from Fe3+ to Fe2+) likely bonded with pyridinic N (FeN4) embedded into the carbon planes. Further increasing the temperature leads to continuously enhanced activity, linked to the rise of graphitic N and Fe-N species. The new atomic Fe catalyst has achieved respectable ORR activity in challenging acidic media (0.5 M H2SO4), showing a half-wave potential of 0.85 V vs RHE and leaving only a 30 mV gap with Pt/C (60 µgPt/cm2). Enhanced stability is attained with the same catalyst, which loses only 20 mV after 10 000 potential cycles (0.6-1.0 V) in O2 saturated acid. The high-performance atomic Fe PGM-free catalyst holds great promise as a replacement for Pt in future PEMFCs.

Electrochemically Formed Ultrafine Metal Oxide Nanocatalysts for High-Performance Lithium-Oxygen Batteries.

Lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries have an extremely high theoretical specific energy density when compared with conventional energy-storage systems. However, practical application of the Li-O2 battery system still faces significant challenges. In this work, we report a new approach for synthesis of ultrafine metal oxide nanocatalysts through an electrochemical prelithiation process. This process reduces the size of NiCo2O4 (NCO) particles from 20-30 nm to a uniformly distributed domain of ∼2 nm and significantly improves their catalytic activity. Structurally, the prelithiated NCO nanowires feature ultrafine NiO/CoO nanoparticles that are highly stable during prolonged cycles in terms of morphology and particle size, thus maintaining an excellent catalytic effect to oxygen reduction and evolution reactions. A Li-O2 battery using this catalyst demonstrated an initial capacity of 29 280 mAh g(-1) and retained a capacity of >1000 mAh g(-1) after 100 cycles based on the weight of the NCO active material. Direct in situ transmission electron microscopy observations conclusively revealed the lithiation/delithiation process of as-prepared NCO nanowires and provided in-depth understanding for both catalyst and battery chemistries of transition-metal oxides. This unique electrochemical approach could also be used to form ultrafine nanoparticles of a broad range of materials for catalyst and other applications.

Reactions of graphene supported Co3O4 nanocubes with lithium and magnesium studied by in situ transmission electron microscopy.

Reaction beyond intercalation and the utilization of metal ions beyond lithium-ions are two promising approaches for developing the next generation of high capacity and low cost energy storage materials. Here, we use graphene supported Co3O4 nanocubes and study their reaction with lithium, magnesium and aluminum using in situ transmission electron microscopy. On lithiation, the Co3O4 nanocubes decompose to Co metal nanoparticles (2 to 3 nm) and embed in as-formed Li2O matrix; conversely, the CoO nanoparticles form on the Co site accompanying the decomposition of Li2O in the delithiation process. The lithiation process is dominated by surface diffusion of Li(+), and graphene sheets enhance the Li(+) diffusion. However, upon charge with magnesium, the Mg(2+) diffusion is sluggish, and there is no sign of conversion reaction between Mg and Co3O4 at room temperature. Instead, a thin film consisting of metal Mg nanoparticles is formed on the surface of graphene due to a process similar to metal plating. The Al(3+) diffusion is even more sluggish and no reaction between Al and Co3O4 is observed. These findings provide insights to tackle the reaction mechanism of multivalent ions with electrode materials.

Surface Coating Constraint Induced Self-Discharging of Silicon Nanoparticles as Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries.

One of the key challenges of Si-based anodes for lithium ion batteries is the large volume change upon lithiation and delithiation, which commonly leads to electrochemi-mechanical degradation and subsequent fast capacity fading. Recent studies have shown that applying nanometer-thick coating layers on Si nanoparticle (SiNPs) enhances cyclability and capacity retention. However, it is far from clear how the coating layer function from the point of view of both surface chemistry and electrochemi-mechanical effect. Herein, we use in situ transmission electron microscopy to investigate the lithiation/delithiation kinetics of SiNPs coated with a conductive polymer, polypyrrole (PPy). We discovered that this coating layer can lead to "self-delithiation" or "self-discharging" at different stages of lithiation. We rationalized that the self-discharging is driven by the internal compressive stress generated inside the lithiated SiNPs due to the constraint effect of the coating layer. We also noticed that the critical size of lithiation-induced fracture of SiNPs is increased from ∼150 nm for bare SiNPs to ∼380 nm for the PPy-coated SiNPs, showing a mechanically protective role of the coating layer. These observations demonstrate both beneficial and detrimental roles of the surface coatings, shedding light on rational design of surface coatings for silicon to retain high-power and high capacity as anode for lithium ion batteries.

Atomistic Conversion Reaction Mechanism of WO3 in Secondary Ion Batteries of Li, Na, and Ca.

Intercalation and conversion are two fundamental chemical processes for battery materials in response to ion insertion. The interplay between these two chemical processes has never been directly seen and understood at atomic scale. Here, using in situ HRTEM, we captured the atomistic conversion reaction processes during Li, Na, Ca insertion into a WO3 single crystal model electrode. An intercalation step prior to conversion is explicitly revealed at atomic scale for the first time for Li, Na, Ca. Nanoscale diffraction and ab initio molecular dynamic simulations revealed that after intercalation, the inserted ion-oxygen bond formation destabilizes the transition-metal framework which gradually shrinks, distorts and finally collapses to an amorphous W and Mx O (M=Li, Na, Ca) composite structure. This study provides a full atomistic picture of the transition from intercalation to conversion, which is of essential importance for both secondary ion batteries and electrochromic devices.

Surface-step-induced oscillatory oxide growth.

We report in situ atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations of the oxidation of stepped Cu surfaces. We find that the presence of surface steps both inhibits oxide film growth and leads to the oxide decomposition, thereby resulting in oscillatory oxide film growth. Using atomistic simulations, we show that the oscillatory oxide film growth is induced by oxygen adsorption on the lower terrace along the step edge, which destabilizes the oxide film formed on the upper terrace.

Dye stabilization and enhanced photoelectrode wettability in water-based dye-sensitized solar cells through post-assembly atomic layer deposition of TiO2.

Detachment (desorption) of molecular dyes from photoelectrodes is one of the major limitations for the long-term operation of dye-sensitized solar cells. Here we demonstrate a method to greatly inhibit this loss by growing a transparent metal oxide (TiO2) on the dye-coated photoelectrode via atomic layer deposition (ALD). TiO2-enshrouded sensitizers largely resist detachment, even in pH 10.7 ethanol, a standard solution for intentional removal of molecular dyes from photoelectrodes. Additionally, the ALD post-treatment renders the otherwise hydrophobic dye-coated surface hydrophilic, thereby enhancing photoelectrode pore-filling with aqueous solution.

Oxygen-Loss-Induced Structural Degradation in ε-LiVOPO4.

The ε-LiVOPO4 cathode for Li-ion batteries has attracted wide attention with its multivalent electronic states and improved discharge capacity of over 300 mAh/g. Oxygen loss stands as a potential cause for structural degradations of the ε-LiVOPO4 cathode and its derivatives but has been barely studied. Through in situ environmental transmission electron microscopy, we probe lattice oxygen loss and the associated structural degradations by spatially and temporally resolving the atomic-scale structural dynamics and phase transformation pathways in ε-LiVOPO4. We demonstrate that the mild oxygen loss at 400 °C induces a topotactic phase transformation of ε-LiVOPO4 → α-Li3V2(PO4)3 in the particle surface via a nucleation and growth mechanism, leading to the formation of a core-shell configuration. The phase transformation can be reversed by switching to an oxidizing environment, in which the α-Li3V2(PO4)3 is reoxidized to ε-LiVOPO4. By contrast, oxygen loss at higher temperatures of 500 and 600 °C results in a high concentration of oxygen vacancies that subsequently induces irreversible structural damages including lattice amorphization and formation of nanocavities. This work illustrates the fundamental mechanisms governing the structural failure of oxide cathodes and underlines possible strategies to overcome such issues by exploiting environmental constraints.

Step-edge-induced oxide growth during the oxidation of Cu surfaces.

Using in situ atomic-resolution electron microscopy observations, we report observations of the oxide growth during the oxidation of stepped Cu surfaces. Oxidation occurs via direct growth of Cu(2)O on flat terraces with Cu adatoms detaching from steps and diffusing across the terraces. This process involves neither reconstructive oxygen adsorption nor oxygen subsurface incorporation and is rather different from the mechanism of solid-solid transformation of bulk oxidation that is most commonly postulated. These results demonstrate that the presence of surface steps can promote the development of a flat metal-oxide interface by kinetically suppressing subsurface oxide formation at the metal-oxide interface.