Single-nanoparticle phase transitions visualized by four-dimensional electron microscopy

Abstract

The advancement of techniques that can probe the behaviour of individual nanoscopic objects is of paramount importance in various disciplines, including photonics and electronics. As it provides images with a spatiotemporal resolution, four-dimensional electron microscopy, in principle, should enable the visualization of single-nanoparticle structural dynamics in real and reciprocal space. Here, we demonstrate the selectivity and sensitivity of the technique by visualizing the spin crossover dynamics of single, isolated metal–organic framework nanocrystals. By introducing a small aperture in the microscope, it was possible to follow the phase transition and the associated structural dynamics within a single particle. Its behaviour was observed to be distinct from that imaged by averaging over ensembles of heterogeneous nanoparticles. The approach reported here has potential applications in other nanosystems and those that undergo (bio)chemical transformations. Introducing a small aperture in a 4D electron microscope has enabled researchers to visualize the phase transition of a single metal–organic framework particle with excellent spatio-temporal resolution. The spin-crossover dynamics of one nanoparticle are found to be distinct from those observed for an ensemble of heterogeneous nanoparticles.

Cite this article

van der Veen, R., Kwon, OH., Tissot, A. et al. Single-nanoparticle phase transitions visualized by four-dimensional electron microscopy. Nature Chem 5, 395–402 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.1622

View full text

>> Full Text:   Single-nanoparticle phase transitions visualized by four-dimensional electron microscopy