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Three-dimensional inhomogeneity of zeolite structure and composition revealed by electron ptychography.

Authors :
Hui Zhang
Guanxing Li
Jiaxing Zhang
Daliang Zhang
Zhen Chen
Xiaona Liu
Peng Guo
Yihan Zhu
Cailing Chen
Lingmei Liu
Xinwen Guo
Yu Han
Source :
Science. 5/12/2023, Vol. 380 Issue 6645, p633-638. 6p. 5 Color Photographs.
Publication Year :
2023

Abstract

Structural and compositional inhomogeneity is common in zeolites and considerably affects their properties. Thickness-limited lateral resolution, lack of depth resolution, and electron dose-constrained focusing limit local structural studies of zeolites in conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We demonstrate that a multislice ptychography method based on four-dimensional scanning TEM (4D-STEM) data can overcome these limitations. Images obtained from a ~40-nanometer-thick MFI zeolite exhibited a lateral resolution of ~0.85 angstrom that enabled the identification of individual framework oxygen (O) atoms and the precise determination of the orientations of adsorbed molecules. Furthermore, a depth resolution of ~6.6 nanometers allowed probing of the three-dimensional distribution of O vacancies, as well as the phase boundaries in intergrown MFI and MEL zeolites. The 4D-STEM ptychography can be generally applied to other materials with similar high electron-beam sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
00368075
Volume :
380
Issue :
6645
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
Science
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
163650242
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adg3183