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arXiv · 2603.24776

Visualizing Millisecond Atomic Dynamics of Nanocrystals in Liquid

Sungsu Kang·Jinho Rhee·Joodeok Kim·Sam Oaks-Leaf·Minwoo Kim·Shengsong Yang·Chang Liu·Dongsu Kim·Sungin Kim·Binyu Wu·Won Bo Lee·David T. Limmer·A. Paul Alivisatos·Peter Ercius Jungwon Park
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Abstract

Atomic structures of nanomaterials are inherently dynamic, continuously reshaped through interactions with chemical species and external stimuli. Such dynamics are further amplified as the size and dimensionality of nanomaterials are reduced. Despite advances in analytical methods, it remains challenging to capture structural dynamics of nanomaterials in reactive environments with both atomic spatial resolution and commensurate temporal resolution. Here, we directly visualize atomic-scale dynamics of gold (Au) nanocrystals in reactive liquid environments with millisecond-speed liquid cell electron microscopy (EM) and deep-learning denoising. We uncover reversible fluctuations in local crystallinity of Au nanocrystals dependent on the surrounding chemical environment. These transient fluctuations, driven by interactions at nanocrystal-liquid interfaces, critically influence dissolution kinetics and grain boundary relaxation. By overcoming the spatiotemporal limitations in conventional liquid cell EM, our findings provide insights into how transient nanoscale structures dictate the stability and reactivity of nanomaterials.

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Sungsu Kang, Jinho Rhee, Joodeok Kim, Sam Oaks-Leaf, Minwoo Kim, Shengsong Yang, Chang Liu, Dongsu Kim, Sungin Kim, Binyu Wu, Won Bo Lee, David T. Limmer, A. Paul Alivisatos, Peter Ercius Jungwon Park. 2026-03-25. Visualizing Millisecond Atomic Dynamics of Nanocrystals in Liquid. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.6c08238

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