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Abstract The use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to observe real-time structural and compositional changes has proven to be a valuable tool for understanding the dynamic behavior of nanomaterials. However, identifying the nanoparticles of interest typically require an obvious change in position, size, or structure, as compositional changes may not be noticeable during the experiment. Oxidation or reduction can often result in subtle volume changes only, so elucidating mechanisms in real-time requires atomic-scale resolution orin-situelectron energy loss spectroscopy, which may not be widely accessible. Here, by monitoring the evolution of diffraction contrast, we can observe both structural and compositional changes in iron oxide nanoparticles, specifically the oxidation from a wüstite-magnetite (FeO@Fe₃O₄) core–shell nanoparticle to single crystalline magnetite, Fe₃O₄nanoparticle. Thein-situTEM images reveal a distinctive light and dark contrast known as the ‘Ashby-Brown contrast’, which is a result of coherent strain across the core–shell interface. As the nanoparticles fully oxidize to Fe₃O₄, the diffraction contrast evolves and then disappears completely, which is then confirmed by modeling and simulation of TEM images. This represents a new, simplified approach to tracking the oxidation or reduction mechanisms of nanoparticles usingin-situTEM experiments. 

We investigate a new series of precise ion-containing polyamide sulfonates (PAS x Li), where a short polar block precisely alternates with a non-polar block of aliphatic carbons ( x = 4, 5, 10, or 16) to form an alternating (AB) n multiblock architecture. The polar block includes a lithiated phenyl sulfonate in the polymer backbone. These PAS x Li polymers were synthesized via polycondensation of diaminobenzenesulfonic acid and alkyl diacids (or alkyl diacyl chlorides) with x -carbons, containing amide bonds at the block linkages. The para - and meta -substituted diaminobenzene monomers led to polymer analogs denoted p PAS x Li and m PAS x Li, respectively. When x ≤ 10, the para -substituted diamine monomer yields multiblock copolymers of a higher degree of polymerization than the meta -substituted isomer, due to the greater electron-withdrawing effect of the meta -substituted monomer. The PAS x Li polymers exhibit excellent thermal stability with less than 5% mass loss at 300 °C and the glass transition temperatures ( T g ) decrease with increasing hydrocarbon block length ( x ). Using the random phase approximation, the Flory–Huggins interaction parameter ( χ ) is determined for p PAS10Li, and χ (260 °C) ∼ 2.92 reveals high incompatibility between the polar ionic and non-polar hydrocarbon blocks. The polymer with the longest hydrocarbon block, p PAS16Li, is semicrystalline and forms well-defined nanoscale layers with a spacing of ∼2.7 nm. Relative to previously studied polyester multiblock copolymers, the amide groups and aromatic rings permit the nanoscale layers to persist up to 250 °C and thus increase the stability range for ordered morphologies in precise ion-containing multiblock copolymers. 

To investigate the influence of manganese substitution on the saturation magnetization of manganese ferrite nanoparticles, samples with various compositions (MnxFe3−xO4,x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1) were synthesized and characterized. The saturation magnetization of such materials was both calculated using density functional theory and measured via vibrating sample magnetometry. A discrepancy was found; the computational data demonstrated a positive correlation between manganese content and saturation magnetization, while the experimental data exhibited an inverse correlation. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and magnetometry results indicated that the crystallite diameter and the magnetic diameter decrease when adding more manganese, which could explain the loss of magnetization of the particles. For 20 nm nanoparticles, with increasing manganese substitution level, the crystallite size decreases from 10.9 nm to 6.3 nm and the magnetic diameter decreases from 15.1 nm to 3.5 nm. Further high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis confirmed the manganese substitution induced defects in the crystal lattice, which encourages us to find ways of eliminating crystalline defects to make more reliable ferrite nanoparticles.