A Facility for Cryo-Enabled Multi-microscopy for Nanoscale Analysis in the Engineering and Physical Sciences (Cryo-EPS)

用于工程和物理科学纳米级分析的冷冻多重显微镜设施 (Cryo-EPS)

• 批准号: EP/V007661/1
• 负责人: Finn Giuliani
• 金额: $ 1311.67万
• 依托单位: Imperial College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FV007661%2F1
• 关键词: Facility; Cryo; Enabled; Multi; microscopy

We are facing unprecedented global challenges around climate change, clean energy, water and sustainability - and these have, at their core, materials solutions. Critical materials for future technologies are often highly complex on multiple length scales, and hence extremely difficult to characterise with a single technique. They commonly involve low atomic weight, mobile elements (e.g. hydrogen, lithium, carbon, sulfur) that are the most challenging to quantitatively characterise in their in-operando state, due to their high rates of diffusion, reactivity and often very low contrast by conventional imaging techniques. Examples of such materials systems include; materials for hydrogen production and storage, battery systems; catalysts to generate new fuels or facilitate decarbonation of industrial processes; interfaces between soft- and hard-matter relevant to hybrid electronics and 'soft' robotics; as well as liquids or liquid- solid interfaces that are critical across the whole engineering and physical sciences research space from geological carbon sequestration, to lubrication in engines, to chemistry and bioengineering.We will create a world-leading cryo-EPS facility to act as a collaborative hub for research that will underpin the UK ambition for a net zero carbon future and a more sustainable society. It will enable the quantitative atomic to micro-scale investigation of light elements that are critical to a host of new technologies associated with a transition to a sustainable, resilient and healthy future society, providing new scientific insights that will drive technological innovation.The equipment will enable the quantitative investigation of light elements across orders of magnitude in length scale - from the micron to the atomic scale, providing an unprecedented opportunity for a step change in our fundamental understanding of these materials structure and chemistry - and ultimately their behaviourThis facility will be based around a cryo hub that will allow samples to be transferred under high vacuum and at cryo conditions between three instruments (i) an atom probe, uniquely positioned to quantitively measure chemical composition of light mobile elements; (ii) a transmission electron microscope with a vacuum-cryo holder and optimised to measure the structure of sensitive samples and also their local bonding environment; (iii) a plasma FIB to allow samples to be prepared for both the atom probe and TEM which have both low contamination and also little damage, and able to perform large-scale 3D imaging. The combination of these instruments will give the UK a powerful characterisation capability that is unique worldwide, putting UK scientists in a leading position to tackle important and urgent global challenges.

我们正面临着前所未有的全球性挑战，包括气候变化、清洁能源、水资源和可持续性，而这些挑战的核心就是材料解决方案。未来技术的关键材料通常在多个长度尺度上高度复杂，因此极难用单一技术进行重复测试。它们通常涉及低原子量、移动的元素（例如氢、锂、碳、硫），由于它们的高扩散速率、反应性和通常通过常规成像技术的非常低的对比度，这些元素在它们的工作状态下是最具挑战性的。这种材料系统的例子包括：用于氢生产和储存、电池系统的材料;产生新燃料或促进工业过程脱碳的催化剂;与混合电子和“软”机器人相关的软物质和硬物质之间的界面;以及在整个工程和物理科学研究空间中至关重要的液体或液固界面，我们将建立一个世界领先的低温EPS设施，作为研究的合作中心，这将支持英国实现净零碳未来和更可持续社会的雄心。它将使轻元素的定量原子到微观尺度的研究成为可能，这些研究对一系列与向可持续、有弹性和健康的未来社会过渡相关的新技术至关重要，提供了新的科学见解，将推动技术创新。该设备将使轻元素的定量研究跨越长度尺度的数量级-从微米到原子尺度，为我们对这些材料的结构和化学性质以及最终它们的行为的基本理解的一步变化提供了前所未有的机会。该设施将以一个低温中心为基础，该中心将允许样品在高真空和低温条件下在三个仪器之间转移：（i）原子探针，其独特的位置用于定量测量轻移动的元素的化学成分;（ii）具有真空冷冻保持器的透射电子显微镜，其被优化以测量敏感样品的结构以及它们的局部结合环境;（iii）等离子体FIB，其允许为原子探针和TEM两者制备样品，其具有低污染和小损坏，并且能够执行大规模3D成像。这些仪器的组合将使英国拥有强大的表征能力，这在世界范围内是独一无二的，使英国科学家处于领先地位，以应对重要和紧迫的全球挑战。

项目成果

Characterization of local deformation around hydrides in Zircaloy-4 using conventional and high angular resolution electron backscatter diffraction

• DOI: 10.1016/j.matchar.2023.112988
• 发表时间: 2023-03
• 期刊: Materials Characterization
• 影响因子: 4.7
• 作者: Ruth M. Birch;J. Douglas;T. B. Britton

A Conventional and High Resolution Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) Study of Stress Fields around Hydrides in Zircaloy-4.

Zircaloy-4 中氢化物周围应力场的常规和高分辨率电子背散射衍射 (EBSD) 研究。

• DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad067.797
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: the official journal of Microscopy Society of America, Microbeam Analysis Society, Microscopical Society of Canada
• 作者: Birch RM

In Situ Sputtering From the Micromanipulator to Enable Cryogenic Preparation of Specimens for Atom Probe Tomography by Focused-Ion Beam.

• DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad020
• 发表时间: 2022-11
• 期刊: Microscopy and microanalysis : the official journal of Microscopy Society of America, Microbeam Analysis Society, Microscopical Society of Canada
• 作者: J. Douglas;M. Conroy;F. Giuliani;B. Gault

3D-Atomic-Scale Analysis of Magnetoelectric Multiferroic Topologies via Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy Complemented by Atom Probe Tomography

通过扫描透射电子显微镜和光谱学并辅以原子探针断层扫描对磁电多铁性拓扑进行 3D 原子尺度分析

• DOI: 10.1017/s1431927622003403
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: Microscopy and Microanalysis
• 影响因子: 2.8
• 作者: Conroy M

Development of Site Specific Cryogenic Specimen Preparation and Transfer of Frozen Liquids for Complementary High-Resolution Analysis by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy and Atom Probe Tomography

通过扫描透射电子显微镜和原子探针断层扫描进行补充高分辨率分析的现场特定低温样品制备和冷冻液体转移的开发

• DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad067.876
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Microscopy and Microanalysis
• 影响因子: 2.8
• 作者: Douglas J