Atomic surface diffusion on Pt nanoparticles quantified by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy

• Published in: Micron (Oxford, England : 1993) Vol. 63; pp. 52 - 56
• Main Authors: Schneider, S., Surrey, A., Pohl, D., Schultz, L., Rellinghaus, B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2014
• Subjects: Aberration-corrected HRTEM; Atomic force microscopy; Diffusion; Diffusion coefficient; Electron microscopy; Fluctuation; Nanoparticles; Occupation; Platin; Platinum; Surface diffusion; Nanoparticles; Aberration-corrected HRTEM; Surface diffusion; Diffusion coefficient; Platin
• ISSN: 0968-4328; 1878-4291
• DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2013.12.011

•Diffusion processes can be described quantitatively using TEM.•Surface self-diffusion on Pt nanoparticles is observable in HRTEM images series.•The migration of atoms takes mainly place at atomic steps.•We determine the surface self-diffusion coefficient for Pt nanoparticles. Aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy allows for the delocalization-free observation of atomic motions on metallic surfaces and thus enables measurements of the diffusion of single atoms on the surfaces of nanoscopic objects such as nanoparticles. Using this recently introduced method, the diffusion coefficient for surface self-diffusion of Pt nanoparticles is determined through the fluctuating occupation of the particle's atomic columns. This diffusion coefficient is determined to lie in the range D∼(10−17…10−16)cm2/s.