Title: Atomic Scale Tracking of Single Layer Oxide Formation: Self-Peeling and Phase Transition in Solution

Authors: Junyu Zhang, Youhong Jiang, Qiyuan Fan, Mi Qu, Nana He, Junxian Deng, Yue Sun, Jun Cheng*, Hong-Gang Liao*, Shi-Gang Sun*

Abstract: Liquid phase electron microscopy (TEM) is used to track the formation of In₂O₃ ultrathin nanosheet in solution at atomic scale. This observation reveals that the formation of few atomic layer nanosheet goes through a complicated phase transition process from InCl₃^.3H₂O to In(OH)₃ and then to In₂O₃. Interestingly, the intermediate InCl₃^.3H₂O nanosheet can grow via either layer by layer or the strain-driven enation growth from precursor solution. Moreover, in situ TEM results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the oleylamine is responsible for the self-peeling process. These findings can provide atomic-level insight for the understanding of how 2D nanomaterial grows and transforms in solution.

Full-Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smtd.202001234