Graphene scientists from the University of Manchester have created a new ‘nano petri dish’ using two-dimensional (2D) material to create a new way to observe how atoms move in liquids.
Atoms swim in liquid thanks to graphene. Image credit: University of Manchester
In the diary, Nature, group led by researchers based in National Graphene Institute (NGI) used stacks of 2D materials, including graphene, to trap liquids to further understand how the presence of liquids changes the behavior of solids.
The group was able to grasp image of single atoms ‘swimming’ in liquid for the first time. The discovery could have widespread implications for the future development of green technologies such as hydrogen production.
When a solid surface comes into contact with a liquid, both substances change their configuration in response to the proximity of the other. Such atomic-scale interactions at the solid-liquid interfaces govern the operation of batteries and fuel cells to generate clean electricity, determine the efficiency of clean water generation, and underlie many processes biological program.
One of the lead researchers, Professor Sarah Haigh, commented: “Given the broad scientific and industrial importance of such behavior, it is shocking that we still have to learn about the fundamentals. about how atoms behave on surfaces in contact with liquids. One of the reasons the information is missing is the lack of techniques that can yield test data for solid-liquid interfaces. “
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is one of the few techniques that allows individual atoms to be viewed and analyzed. However, TEM equipment requires a high vacuum environment and the structure of the material changes in the vacuum. First author Dr Nick Clark explains: “In our work, we show that misinformation is provided if atomic behavior is studied in a vacuum rather than using our liquid cells.”
NGI professor Roman Gorbachev has pioneered the stacking of 2D materials for electronics, but here his team has used similar techniques to develop a ‘dual graphene liquid cell’. A 2D layer of molybdenum disulfide is completely suspended in the liquid and surrounded by graphene windows. This novel design allows them to deliver precisely controlled layers of liquid, enabling unprecedented video capture of single atoms ‘swimming’ around surrounded by liquid.
By analyzing how the atoms move in the video and comparing it with theoretical insights provided by colleagues at the University of Cambridge, the researchers were able to understand the effects of liquids on the behavior of animals. atom. Liquids were found to speed up the motion of the atoms and also change their preferred resting positions for the solids below.
The team has been working on a promising material for green hydrogen production, but the experimental technology they developed could be used for a variety of applications.
“This is an important achievement and just the beginning – we are looking to use this technique to support the development of materials for sustainable chemical processing,” said Dr. Nick Clark. necessary to achieve the world’s zero ambitions.”
Source: University of Manchester
