SKM 2023 – scientific programme
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MM: Fachverband Metall- und Materialphysik
MM 10: Materials for Storage and Conversion of Energy: New Storage Materials
MM 10.1: Talk
Monday, March 27, 2023, 15:45–16:00, SCH A 215
Improving the cleanliness of TEM investigation of catalyst samples — •Julia Menten1, Robert Schlögl1,2, and Walid Hetaba1 — 1Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany — 2Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) offers a powerful tool for the analysis of specimens down to an atomic scale. In order to achieve high quality data, sample preparation is a crucial step. Many samples contain a high carbon content, e.g. as organic ligands or solvents. Electron beam exposure can lead to the deposition of carbon on the specimen surface and limit the image resolution and quality of obtained spectroscopic data. Different mitigation strategies can be applied in order to reduce contamination, though these methods can easily harm the specimens or lead to accumulation of carbonaceous molecules in the microscope environment [1].
In our work we focus on the removal of undesirable carbon species before the sample is inserted into the microscope. Our sample cleaning setup allows to investigate the influence of different preparation parameters, e.g. drying time or temperature, on how long solvents remain in the vacuum system and therefore can have an impact on the TEM analysis. Evaluation of the decrease in pressure while pumping our setup with a TEM sample gives insight in necessary drying times. The impact of our sample treatment can be investigated in the TEM by evaluating contrast and thickness measurements.
[1] Mitchell, Micron 73 (2015) 36-46