In Situ Liquid Cell Electron Microscopy for Characterization of Dynamic Processes

Many important reactions take place in liquids, but these processes are particularly difficult to study. Liquid cell electron microscopy provides opportunities for visualizing processes in liquids with good spatial and temporal resolution. The combination of imaging and electrochemical quantification have proved especially useful in studies of crystal growth, corrosion processes and battery materials. However, it has been a significant challenge to improve the quality and quantification of liquid cell data due to the limitation in liquid cell equipment, control of local conditions and understanding of beam effects. In this seminar, I will discuss how I use <i>in situ </i>liquid phase electron microscopy to uncover the mechanisms of chemical transformation of catalytic nanoparticles under realistic reaction conditions. I will also talk about my recent work where I (1) developed a temperature-controlled electrochemical liquid cell for understanding the detailed mechanisms by which typical catalysts change their structures under electrochemical control in liquid electrolytes; and (2) incorporated 2D materials into the electrochemical liquid cell design to improve its achievable spatial resolution and electrochemical stability. My work lays the foundation for visualizing the nanoelectrochemical structure-function relationship in the electrochemical processes, which will open new opportunities for investigating a range of problems in energy storage and electrocatalysis.