EAGER - Nanoscale 3D Imaging of ice-embedded metallic structures

EAGER - 冰嵌入金属结构的纳米级 3D 成像

• 批准号: 1201436
• 负责人: Emmanuelle Marquis
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-03-01 至 2014-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1201436&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; Nanoscale; 3D; Imaging; ice

TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The possibility of imaging metal-water systems at high spatial and chemical resolution would provide unique and critical information on the interfacial phenomena controlling the behavior and degradation of catalytic and structural alloy systems while under service conditions. Existing approaches to these questions currently focus on developing in-situ TEM holders or spectroscopy techniques that can provide real time information. However these techniques generally lack spatial and chemical resolutions that are necessary to quantify the interfacial phenomena down to the atomic level. The objective of this project is to develop a unique method to image metal/water interfaces in three dimensions and at the nanoscale through unique cryo-preparation and cryo-imaging capabilities at the University of California, Berkeley and at the University of Michigan, respectively. It involves the development of specimen preparation from samples of ice that are suitable for examination by atom probe tomography (APT); focused ion beam (FIB) milling is the specimen-preparation method of choice. The high pay-off of the proposed approach resides in the versatility of the method that will allow not only metal-water systems to be studied, but will also be applicable to interfaces between hard and soft materials. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: This project will develop a novel technique for imaging frozen solid-liquid interfaces. First, miniature needles will be machined out of a frozen specimen. Secondly, the frozen needle will be analyzed atom by atom to form a 3D image of the local chemistry and atomic arrangement. The technique will be able to analyze solid-liquid interfaces important for many scientific and industrial technologies. For instance, this technique can address corrosion phenomena important for alloy development that are currently understood only at a phenomenological level because of the lack of high resolution characterization techniques such as the one proposed here. The methods are expected to impact a large number of research areas relevant to the development of energy materials (such as structural materials for power plants, battery materials, nanoparticles for catalysis, and organic electronic devices). An integrated research and education plan will employ one or more undergraduate students to work with a post-doctoral researcher and leverage existing University programs that emphasize the recruitment of women and under-represented minorities.

技术概要：在高空间和化学分辨率下成像金属-水系统的可能性将提供关于在服务条件下控制催化和结构合金系统的行为和降解的界面现象的独特和关键信息。现有的方法，这些问题目前集中在发展原位TEM持有人或光谱技术，可以提供真实的时间信息。然而，这些技术通常缺乏空间和化学分辨率，这是必要的量化的界面现象下降到原子水平。该项目的目标是开发一种独特的方法，通过加州大学伯克利分校和密歇根大学的独特低温制备和低温成像能力，分别在三维和纳米尺度上对金属/水界面进行成像。它涉及到从适合于原子探针断层扫描（APT）检查的冰样品制备样品的发展;聚焦离子束（FIB）铣削是首选的样品制备方法。所提出的方法的高回报在于该方法的多功能性，不仅允许研究金属-水系统，而且还适用于硬材料和软材料之间的界面。非技术性总结：本项目将开发一种新的技术，用于成像冷冻固液界面。首先，微型针将从冷冻标本中加工出来。其次，冷冻针将被逐个原子地分析，以形成局部化学和原子排列的3D图像。该技术将能够分析对许多科学和工业技术至关重要的固液界面。例如，这种技术可以解决腐蚀现象的合金发展，目前只在现象学水平上理解，因为缺乏高分辨率的表征技术，如这里提出的一个重要。这些方法预计将影响与能源材料开发相关的大量研究领域（如发电厂的结构材料，电池材料，催化纳米粒子和有机电子器件）。一个综合的研究和教育计划将雇用一名或多名本科生与博士后研究人员一起工作，并利用现有的大学课程，强调招聘妇女和代表性不足的少数民族。