Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 7, 2026
05:07
Author Spotlight: Optimized Lung MRI Protocol with Computationally Efficient Reconstruction Methods
Published on: September 6, 2024
761
Direct imaging of structural changes induced by ionic liquid gating leading to engineered three-dimensional
Bin Cui1, Peter Werner1, Tianping Ma1
1Max Planck Institute for Microstructure Physics, Halle, 06120, Germany.
Nature Communications
|August 5, 2018
Summary
Ionic liquid gating drives reversible phase transformations in strontium cobalt oxide thin films. This anisotropic process, moving faster laterally, enables the creation of complex 3D metallic structures.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid-State Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Controlled material transformation is crucial for advanced device fabrication.
- Ionic liquid gating offers a method to induce long-range material property changes in thin films.
- Understanding the mechanism of ionic liquid-induced phase transformations is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanism of reversible phase transformation in strontium cobalt oxide (SrCoO3) thin films induced by ionic liquid gating.
- To directly visualize the dynamic process of phase transformation at the nanoscale.
- To explore the potential for creating complex 3D nanostructures using this phenomenon.
Main Methods:
- In situ, real-time, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) was employed.
- The study focused on the reversible transformation between brownmillerite SrCoO2.5 and perovskite SrCoO3 phases.
- Ionic liquid gating was used to drive the phase transformation.
Main Results:
- The phase transformation boundary exhibited highly anisotropic movement, approximately 30 times faster laterally than through the film thickness.
- Direct imaging revealed the real-time dynamics of the reversible transformation between SrCoO2.5 and SrCoO3.
- The anisotropic nature of the transformation was leveraged to fabricate 3D metallic structures, including cylinders and rings.
Conclusions:
- The study elucidates the anisotropic mechanism of ionic liquid-induced phase transformation in SrCoO3 thin films.
- This anisotropic behavior provides a novel pathway for the precise engineering of complex 3D nanostructures.
- The findings offer a roadmap for constructing intricate meso-scale architectures from material surfaces.
Related Concept Videos
02:42Ionic Crystal Structures
17.1K
Ionic crystals consist of two or more different kinds of ions that usually have different sizes. The packing of these ions into a crystal structure is more complex than the packing of metal atoms that are the same size.
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
17.1K
02:15Protein and Protein Structure
88.2K
Proteins are one of the most abundant organic molecules in living systems and have the most diverse range of functions of all macromolecules. Proteins may be structural, regulatory, contractile, or protective. They may serve in transport, storage, or membranes; or they may be toxins or enzymes. Their structures, like their functions, vary greatly. They are all, however, amino acid polymers arranged in a linear sequence.
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme...
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme...
88.2K
02:22Structures of Solids
17.9K
Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...
17.9K
02:46Covalent Bonding and Lewis Structures
61.5K
Compared to ionic bonds, which results from the transfer of electrons between metallic and nonmetallic atoms, covalent bonds result from the mutual attraction of atoms for a “shared” pair of electrons.
61.5K
02:34Structural Isomerism
21.7K
Isomerism in Complexes
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula. Structural isomerism of coordination compounds can be divided into two subcategories, the linkage isomers and coordination-sphere isomers.
Linkage isomers occur when the coordination compound contains a ligand that can bind to the transition metal center through two different atoms. For example, the CN− ligand can bind through the carbon atom or through the nitrogen atom. Similarly, SCN− can...
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula. Structural isomerism of coordination compounds can be divided into two subcategories, the linkage isomers and coordination-sphere isomers.
Linkage isomers occur when the coordination compound contains a ligand that can bind to the transition metal center through two different atoms. For example, the CN− ligand can bind through the carbon atom or through the nitrogen atom. Similarly, SCN− can...
21.7K
03:38Structure of Lipids
99.0K
Lipids include a diverse group of compounds that are largely nonpolar in nature. This is because they are hydrocarbons that include mostly nonpolar carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds. Non-polar molecules are hydrophobic (“water fearing”), or insoluble in water. Lipids perform many different functions in a cell. Cells store energy for long-term use in the form of fats. Lipids also provide insulation from the environment for plants and animals. For example, they help keep aquatic...
99.0K