Development of Active-modulation Environmental TEM technique for Operando Observations of "Pure" Dynamics of Chemical Reactions

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H02743
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Nanomaterials chemistry
• Research Institution: Japan Fine Ceramics Center
• Principal Investigator: Kawasaki Tadahiro 一般財団法人ファインセラミックスセンター, その他部局等, 主任研究員 (10372533)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 電子顕微鏡 / ダイナミクス / オペランド / 環境制御 / その場観察

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we investigated the development of a new "active modulation type environmental electron microscope" that can directly observe pure changes and behaviors caused by the reaction phenomena themselves by eliminating the effects of electron irradiation, which has been unavoidable in principle in in-situ electron microscopic observation.
The research group investigated the development of a new "active modulation type environmental electron microscope" that can directly observe pure changes and behaviors caused by reaction phenomena themselves, eliminating the effects of electron irradiation that have been unavoidable in principle. Furthermore, we tried to apply it to direct quantitative analysis of the atomic-level reaction field of noble metal nanoparticle catalysts in a gas atmosphere and quantitative analysis of battery reactions in electrolyte solutions for lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells, aiming to establish an innovative method that can be widely used.

Free Research Field

電子顕微鏡学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で確立を指向した技術を応用することで、触媒や電池反応の挙動の観察結果を、電子線の効果を考慮することなくそのまま議論することが可能となる。それによって、例えば、単一粒子ごとの触媒活性を定量化し、構造との因果関係を明らかにしたり、電池電極表面でのデンドライト核生成や成長と電極構造との関係性を定量的に解明できる。これらの知見は各種材料の性能向上や新機能発現のための設計指針を示すものとなる。さらに本手法は様々な環境変調に応用可能であり、多岐に渡る機能性材料で『純粋』な解析が実現できるという広範な波及効果が期待される。それは学術界のみならず産業界にも大きく貢献するものと言える。