TY - JOUR
T1 - Cryo-transmission electron microscopy of Ag nanoparticles grown on an ionic liquid substrate
AU - Anjum, Dalaver H.
AU - Stiger, Rebecca M.
AU - Finley, James J.
AU - Conway, James F.
N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01
PY - 2011/1/31
Y1 - 2011/1/31
N2 - We report a novel method of growing silver nanostructures by cathodic sputtering onto an ionic liquid (IL) and our visualization by transmission cryo-electron microscopy to avoid beam-induced motion of the nanoparticles. By freezing the IL suspension and controlling electron dose, we can assess properties of particle size, morphology, crystallinity, and aggregation in situ and at high detail. We observed round silver nanoparticles with a well-defined diameter of 7.0 ± 1.5 nm that are faceted with crystalline cubic structures and ∼80% of the particles have multiply twinned faults. We also applied cryo-electron tomography to investigate the structure of the nanoparticles and to directly visualize the IL wetting around them. In addition to particles, we observed nanorods that appear to have assembled from individual nanoparticles. Reexamination of the samples after 4-5 days from initial preparation showed significant changes in morphology, and potential mechanisms for this are discussed. © 2010 Materials Research Society.
AB - We report a novel method of growing silver nanostructures by cathodic sputtering onto an ionic liquid (IL) and our visualization by transmission cryo-electron microscopy to avoid beam-induced motion of the nanoparticles. By freezing the IL suspension and controlling electron dose, we can assess properties of particle size, morphology, crystallinity, and aggregation in situ and at high detail. We observed round silver nanoparticles with a well-defined diameter of 7.0 ± 1.5 nm that are faceted with crystalline cubic structures and ∼80% of the particles have multiply twinned faults. We also applied cryo-electron tomography to investigate the structure of the nanoparticles and to directly visualize the IL wetting around them. In addition to particles, we observed nanorods that appear to have assembled from individual nanoparticles. Reexamination of the samples after 4-5 days from initial preparation showed significant changes in morphology, and potential mechanisms for this are discussed. © 2010 Materials Research Society.
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/561547
UR - https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0884291400007299/type/journal_article
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77957963904&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1557/jmr.2010.0166
DO - 10.1557/jmr.2010.0166
M3 - Article
SN - 0884-2914
VL - 25
SP - 1264
EP - 1271
JO - Journal of Materials Research
JF - Journal of Materials Research
IS - 7
ER -