Discerning single atoms on TiO₂ nanoplatelets using STEM-based atomically-resolved secondary electron techniques.

ABSTRACT: Single-atom catalysts (SACs) play a crucial role in heterogeneous catalysis due to their efficient atomic utilization and unique catalytic properties. Despite significant progress in SAC synthesis and application, accurately identifying SACs surface features at the atomic scale remains challenging. This study employs a state-of-the-art approach combining atom-resolved secondary electron (SE) and annular dark-field (ADF) imaging using a probe-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) to investigate single vanadium (V) and tungsten (W) atoms immobilized on TiO₂ nanoplatelets. Our results demonstrate that both V and W atoms are clearly visible in SE images, while only W atoms are detectable in ADF images. These findings demonstrate that SE imaging offers distinct Å

SUBMITTER: Ren Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12727809 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature