Mechanistic investigation of dynamic metal nanoparticles

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H02535
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 28010:Nanometer-scale chemistry-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Imaoka Takane 東京工業大学, 科学技術創成研究院, 准教授 (80398635)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 電子顕微鏡 / クラスター

Outline of Final Research Achievements

What are the essential factors that determine the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles and clusters? This question has long been asked since the discovery of cluster catalytic activity, which varies significantly depending on the number of atoms constituting the cluster, and in particular, the structural factors remain largely unexplored. The principal investigator observed the atomic dynamics of clusters in real time using an atomic-resolution electron microscope, and succeeded in obtaining important experimental findings on the dynamics of the atomic arrangement structure.

Free Research Field

無機化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

最もシンプルな実験対象として、グラフェンのような担体上における二量体・三量体の生成・解離のダイナミクスを、元素を同定しながら原子レベルの分解能で直接可視化することに世界で初めて成功した　(Nature Commun. 2022, in press)。具体的には走査型透過電子顕微鏡（STEM）とZコントラスト原理に基づく元素同定を組み合わせて、多くのホモおよびヘテロ金属二量体のビデオ記録を行った。AuAg、AgCu、AuAgCuのような存在確率の低い短寿命分子も、低電子線量で動く原子を識別した結果、世界で初めて直接可視化することに成功している。