Verification of feasibility of high temperature and high pressure environment in liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K18901
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 30:Applied physics and engineering and related fields
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Yamazaki Tomoya 北海道大学, 低温科学研究所, 准教授 (50735032)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 溶液セル / 透過電子顕微鏡法 / グラフェン / アモルファス窒化ケイ素 / クラスレートハイドレート / 高圧環境 / 氷 / 環境セル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In transmission electron microscope (TEM), the sample is normally exposed to a high vacuum environment. Here we examined the possibility of observing liquid samples by TEM under higher pressure environments than atmospheric pressure by using liquid cells. A liquid cell using graphene, which was expected to create high temperature and high pressure environments, had difficulty encapsulating water. This may be attributed to crystal defects potentially present in graphene and the possible solution to address this issue was presented. Although it was not considered to fabricate high pressure environments in liquid cell using amorphous silicon nitride membrane, we succeeded in observing materials formed under high pressure. This demonstrated that it is possible to perform observations under high-pressure environments by TEM.

Free Research Field

結晶成長

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで透過電子顕微鏡（TEM）では、高圧環境下での試料の観察が困難であった。これは、TEMでは電子をプローブとして扱うための高真空環境が必要であるということも一因として挙げられる。本研究では、少なくとも、大気圧の数十倍の圧力環境でTEM観察が可能であることを示し、TEMで可能な観察条件を拡張した。これはクラスレートハイドレートといったエネルギー、カーボンニュートラルに関連する材料の生成過程の観察へ応用できる。