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Molecular Foundry

HIGHLIGHTSObservation of Surface Ligands Controlled Etching of Palladium Nanocrystals
April 15, 2021

Scientific Achievement

Etching of Pd nanocrystals at different Fe(acac)3 concentrations. (A) A schematic setup of in situ liquid cell TEM experiment with Pd nanocrystals and Fe(acac)3 in water. (B) A low-magnification TEM image of the Pd nanocrystals distributed in the liquid cell. (C) A single-crystalline Pd nanocrystal. (D) A high-resolution TEM image of a Pd nanocrystal. The (100) and (110) facets can be distinguished. (E) Rapid etching of Pd nanocrystals at 0.1 mM Fe(acac)3. (F)  Mitigated etching of Pd nanocrystals in the 1 mM Fe(acac)3 aqueous solution.

Identified the role of surface ligands (Fe(acac)3 and its derivatives) as inhibitor molecules on the etching of palladium nanocrystals (NCs) using liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Significance and Impact

Provides insights into engineering of corrosion-resistant nanomaterials by controlling the interplay between inhibitor molecules and nanomaterials surfaces, and shows a path to overcoming the issue of electron beam damage in liquid-cell TEM.

Research Details

  • Pd NCs in an aqueous solution with different concentration of Fe(acac)3 show different etching behavior
  • High resolution imaging show the Fe(acac)3 ligands adsorption on the nanocrystal surface.
  • Ab initio calculations showed that the differences in adsorption energy of inhibitor molecules on palladium facets were responsible for the etching behavior.
Q. Zheng, J. Shangguan, X. Li, Q. Zhang, K. C. Bustillo, L. W. Wang, J. Jiang, H. Zheng, Nano Letters 21, 6640–6647 (2021).

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