Scientific Achievement
- Researchers in the In Situ TEM program discovered breakthrough in liquid-phase TEM (LP-TEM), capturing the hydrogenation dynamics of individual Pd nanocrystals
- Demonstrates that nanocrystal geometry serves as a parameter for directing phase transformation pathways
Significance and Impact
- Establishes geometric control as a synthetic handle to direct materials along unique transformation pathways
- Provides design principles for managing phase boundaries to enhance next-generation intercalation device durability
Research Details
- Utilized in situ LP-TEM to track individual Pd nanocrystal hydrogenation driven by water radiolysis
- Mapped α/β-PdHx phase boundaries dynamically using advanced high-resolution TEM image analysis
- Validated experimental findings with elastic Ising model-based kinetic Monte Carlo simulations
Publication Details
D. Lee, S. Oaks-Leaf, H. Ma, J. He, Z. Wang, Y. Shi, E. Ahn, K. C. Bustillo, C. Song, S. M. Ribet, R. Dhall, C. Ophus, M. Asta, J. Yang, Y. Xia, D. T. Limmer, H. Zheng, ACS Nano (2026).
Work was performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and in part by the Molecular Foundry.
