Transformation dynamics of Ni clusters into NiO rings under electron beam irradiation

Daniel Knez, Philipp Thaler, Alexander VOLK, Gerald Kothleitner, Wolfgang Ernst, Ferdinand Hofer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

WereportthetransformationofnickelclustersintoNiOringsbyanelectronbeaminducednanoscaleKirkendall effect.High-puritynickelclustersconsistingofafewthousandatomshavebeenusedasprecursors andweresynthesizedwiththesuperfluid heliumdroplettechnique.Aberration-corrected,analytical scanningtransmissionelectronmicroscopywasappliedtooxidiseandsimultaneouslyanalysethe nanostructures.Thetransientdynamicsoftheoxidationcouldbedocumentedbytimelapseseriesusing high-angleannulardark-field imagingandelectronenergy-lossspectroscopy.Atwo-stepCabrera-Mott oxidationmechanismwasidentified. Itwasfoundthatwateradsorbedadjacenttotheclustersactsas oxygensourcefortheelectronbeaminducedoxidation.Thesize-dependentoxidationratewases-timated byquantitativeEELSmeasurementscombinedwithmoleculardynamicssimulations.Ourfindings couldservetobettercontrolsamplechangesduringexaminationinanelectronmicroscope,andmight provideamethodologytogenerateothermetaloxidenanostructures.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)105-111
JournalUltramicroscopy
Volume176
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Materials Science(all)

Fields of Expertise

  • Advanced Materials Science

Treatment code (Nähere Zuordnung)

  • Basic - Fundamental (Grundlagenforschung)

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