Direct Imaging of Atomic Permeation Through a Vacancy Defect in the Carbon Lattice

Cao, Kecheng; Skowron, Stephen T.; Stoppiello, Craig T.; Biskupek, Johannes; Khlobystov, Andrei N.; Kaiser, Ute

Abstract

Porous graphene has shown promise as a new generation of selective membrane for sieving atoms, ions and molecules. However, the atomistic mechanisms of permeation through defects in the graphenic lattice are still unclear and remain unobserved in action, at the atomic level. Here, the direct observation of palladium atoms from a nanoparticle passing through a defect in a single-walled carbon nanotube one-by-one has been achieved with atomic resolution in real time, revealing key stages of the atomic permeation. Bonding between the moving atom and dangling bonds around the orifice, immediately before and after passing through the subnano-pore, plays an important role in the process. Curvature of the graphenic lattice crucially defines the direction of permeation from concave to convex side due to a difference in metal-carbon bonding at the curved surfaces as confirmed by density functional theory calculations, demonstrating the potential of porous carbon nanotubes for atom sieving.

Citation

Cao, K., Skowron, S. T., Stoppiello, C. T., Biskupek, J., Khlobystov, A. N., & Kaiser, U. (2020). Direct Imaging of Atomic Permeation Through a Vacancy Defect in the Carbon Lattice. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 59(51), 22922-22927. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202010630

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 12, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Nov 11, 2020
• Publication Date: Dec 14, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jun 3, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 7, 2021
• Journal: Angewandte Chemie International Edition
• Print ISSN: 1433-7851
• Electronic ISSN: 1521-3773
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 59
• Issue: 51
• Pages: 22922-22927
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202010630
• Keywords: General Chemistry; Catalysis
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5039943
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202010630