Atomic resolution enabled STEM imaging of nanocrystals at cryogenic temperature

Elizaveta Tyukalova; Martial Duchamp

doi:10.1088/2515-7639/ab8a95

Atomic resolution enabled STEM imaging of nanocrystals at cryogenic temperature

Elizaveta Tyukalova, Martial Duchamp

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this study, we address the problem of electron-beam induced damage on two energy-related materials: LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ used as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries and ZnCo_1.8Ni_0.2O₄ used as a catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction. Both materials were found to transform from the spinel into the rocksalt phase while being imaged by high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM) at room temperature. To mitigate the degradation, we found HR-STEM characterization at cryogenic temperature delays the critical electron dose for structural modification. We determined the native phase of materials to be spinel while the other phases observed by HR-STEM were induced by the electron-beam. From a careful analysis of the experimental data and a detailed understanding of the different degradation processes induced by an energetic electron beam, we conclude that radiolysis is the mechanism responsible for the degradation in LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ and ZnCo_1.8Ni_0.2O₄ nanoparticles.

Original language	English
Article number	034006
Journal	JPhys Materials
Volume	3
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7639/ab8a95
State	Published - Jul 2020
Externally published	Yes

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 1 grants RG101/17 (Nanyang Technological University). The authors acknowledge the Facilities for Analysis, Characterization, Testing and Simulations (FACTS) at Nanyang Technological University for access to TEM equipments. We also thank our colleagues from MSE-NTU, Rohit Satish, Rodney Chua Yong Sheng, and Madhavi Srinivasan for kindly providing the cycled LNMO particles, and Yan Duan and Zhichuan Jason Xu for kindly providing the ZCNO particles.

Funders	Funder number
Ministry of Education - Singapore	RG101/17
Ministry of Education - Singapore
Nanyang Technological University

Keywords

Cryo-STEM
Electron beam degradation
LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4
ZnCo1.8Ni0.2O4

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1088/2515-7639/ab8a95

Cite this

@article{880d64a285bc42b6aff14d3cfdf7fbc8,

title = "Atomic resolution enabled STEM imaging of nanocrystals at cryogenic temperature",

abstract = "In this study, we address the problem of electron-beam induced damage on two energy-related materials: LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 used as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries and ZnCo1.8Ni0.2O4 used as a catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction. Both materials were found to transform from the spinel into the rocksalt phase while being imaged by high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM) at room temperature. To mitigate the degradation, we found HR-STEM characterization at cryogenic temperature delays the critical electron dose for structural modification. We determined the native phase of materials to be spinel while the other phases observed by HR-STEM were induced by the electron-beam. From a careful analysis of the experimental data and a detailed understanding of the different degradation processes induced by an energetic electron beam, we conclude that radiolysis is the mechanism responsible for the degradation in LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 and ZnCo1.8Ni0.2O4 nanoparticles.",

keywords = "Cryo-STEM, Electron beam degradation, LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4, ZnCo1.8Ni0.2O4",

author = "Elizaveta Tyukalova and Martial Duchamp",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd",

year = "2020",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1088/2515-7639/ab8a95",

language = "English",

volume = "3",

journal = "JPhys Materials",

issn = "2515-7639",

publisher = "IOP Publishing",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Atomic resolution enabled STEM imaging of nanocrystals at cryogenic temperature

AU - Tyukalova, Elizaveta

AU - Duchamp, Martial

PY - 2020/7

Y1 - 2020/7

N2 - In this study, we address the problem of electron-beam induced damage on two energy-related materials: LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 used as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries and ZnCo1.8Ni0.2O4 used as a catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction. Both materials were found to transform from the spinel into the rocksalt phase while being imaged by high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM) at room temperature. To mitigate the degradation, we found HR-STEM characterization at cryogenic temperature delays the critical electron dose for structural modification. We determined the native phase of materials to be spinel while the other phases observed by HR-STEM were induced by the electron-beam. From a careful analysis of the experimental data and a detailed understanding of the different degradation processes induced by an energetic electron beam, we conclude that radiolysis is the mechanism responsible for the degradation in LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 and ZnCo1.8Ni0.2O4 nanoparticles.

AB - In this study, we address the problem of electron-beam induced damage on two energy-related materials: LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 used as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries and ZnCo1.8Ni0.2O4 used as a catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction. Both materials were found to transform from the spinel into the rocksalt phase while being imaged by high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM) at room temperature. To mitigate the degradation, we found HR-STEM characterization at cryogenic temperature delays the critical electron dose for structural modification. We determined the native phase of materials to be spinel while the other phases observed by HR-STEM were induced by the electron-beam. From a careful analysis of the experimental data and a detailed understanding of the different degradation processes induced by an energetic electron beam, we conclude that radiolysis is the mechanism responsible for the degradation in LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 and ZnCo1.8Ni0.2O4 nanoparticles.

KW - Cryo-STEM

KW - Electron beam degradation

KW - LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4

KW - ZnCo1.8Ni0.2O4

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85103508148&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1088/2515-7639/ab8a95

DO - 10.1088/2515-7639/ab8a95

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85103508148

SN - 2515-7639

VL - 3

JO - JPhys Materials

JF - JPhys Materials

IS - 3

M1 - 034006

ER -

Atomic resolution enabled STEM imaging of nanocrystals at cryogenic temperature

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this