A study on the atoms, titled “Tracking single adatoms in a liquid in a transmission electron microscope,” is published in the journal Nature.
Researchers at the University of Manchester have arranged two-dimensional materials to create a new “nano-petri dish” that allows them to observe individual atoms as they move through a liquid. The “double graphene liquid cell” contains a 2D layer of molybdenum disulfide (MoS) with liquid flowing through it while sandwiched between two layers of graphene. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), researchers can observe single atoms moving within the MoS layer.
New footage from the experiment shows platinum atoms floating in the liquid around (MoS). Bright spots appear and disappear, showing the platinum atoms as they adsorb or bind to the surface of the structure (MoS) before desorbing back into the liquid. Analysis of this footage will allow researchers to compare how atoms move in real life with theoretical predictions and determine how the liquid affects the atoms’ behavior.
You can read more about the study here.
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