Dr.Ir. Fredrik Creemer (DIMES) and Dr. Ir. Alfons Molenbroek (R&D division of the Danish Catalyst producer Haldor Topsoe).
Nano Imaging under Industrial Conditions.
Delft University of Technology: Time: 11:00 hrs, Location: Kronig Zaal
You are cordally invited to join the symposium. See the program below. Please subscribe via email to Roel Kamerling as we can order suffient lunch.
11.00h Introduction into NIMIC by Prof. dr. Joost Frenken (Leiden University - LION and NIMIC Science Director)
11.15h Dr. Ir. Fredrik Creemer "Atomic-scale electron microscopy at ambient pressure"
11.45h Dr. Ir. Alfons Molenbroek "In situ characterization of heterogeneous catalysts at Haldor Topsoe"
12.15h Small lunch
About the Fredrik Creemer lecture (following the recent article in Ultramicroscopy: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2008.04.014
We demonstrate a novel nanoreactor for performing atomic-resolution environmental transmission electron microscopy (ETEM) of nanostructured materials during exposure to gases at ambient pressures and elevated temperatures. The nanoreactor is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) and is functionalized with a micrometer-sized gas-flow channel, electron-transparent windows and a heating device. It fits into the tip of a dedicated sample holder that can be used in a normal CM microscope of Philips/FEI Company. The nanoreactor performance was demonstrated by ETEM imaging of a Cu/ZnO catalyst for methanol synthesis during exposure to hydrogen. Specifically, the nanoreactor facilitated the direct observation of Cu nanocrystal growth and mobility on a sub-second time scale during heating to 500 °C and exposure to 1.2 bar of H2. For the same gas reaction environment, ETEM images show atomic lattice fringes in the Cu nanocrystals with spacing of 0.18 nm, attesting the spatial resolution limit of the system. The nanoreactor concept opens up new possibilities for in situ studies of nanomaterials and the ways they interact with their ambient working environment in diverse areas, such as heterogeneous catalysis, electrochemistry, nanofabrication, materials science and biology.
About NIMIC
The SmartMix programme Nano-Imaging under Industrial Conditions (NIMIC) has been granted 14 million Euro in 2007. The NIMIC partners are TU Delft (Kavli, ChemTech, DIMES), Leiden University (LION), Albemarle Catalysts BV, Haldor Topsoe A/S, FEI Company BV, Leiden Probe Microscopy BV, LUMC and Netherlands Cancer Institute. These partners bring together another 11 M€, bringing the budget to a total of 25 million Euro.
The goal of NIMIC is to make physical, chemical and biological processes visible on the atomic and molecular scale, under practical, e.g. industrial conditions. Novel SPM, TEM and MEMS technologies are developed that will provide the very first, direct ‘atomic look’ on highly relevant, practical phenomena. Ground-breaking new insights are expected that will contribute significantly to e.g. the development of new catalysts for the car fuel industry, the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, and the miniaturization of computer chips. NIMIC involves equipment building industries, chemical industries, medical institutes and technology-driven university research groups.