Atom probe specimen preparation methods for nanoparticles.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Understanding nanoparticle performance requires atomic-scale chemical composition analysis.
• Atom probe tomography (APT) is a powerful technique for nanoscale material characterization.
• Specimen preparation for APT from diverse nanoparticles presents a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present three effective methods for preparing needle-shaped specimens for APT from various functional nanoparticles.
• To demonstrate the utility of APT in analyzing the critical structural and chemical information within nanoparticles.
• To overcome the limitations in preparing particle samples for APT measurements.

Main Methods:

• Development of three distinct protocols for fabricating site-specific needle-shaped specimens from nanoparticles.
• Application of APT to analyze the atomic-scale composition and structure of prepared samples.
• Characterization of lithium-ion battery cathode nanoparticles (300-500 nm), Ni@SiO2 catalytic nanoparticles (100-200 nm), and Sn@Cu catalytic nanoparticles (<100 nm).

Main Results:

• Successful preparation of high-quality needle-shaped specimens from nanoparticles of varying sizes.
• Generation of critical, high-resolution data on material distribution within functional nanoparticles using APT.
• Demonstration of APT's capability to provide insights into nanoparticle functionality.

Conclusions:

• The presented methods effectively address the challenge of APT specimen preparation for diverse nanoparticle samples.
• These techniques enhance the applicability of APT for analyzing functional nanomaterials.
• The study offers valuable alternative approaches for researchers assessing nanoparticle performance and structure.