TEM-tomography of FAU-zeolite crystals containing Pt-clusters.
A method for preparing ultrathin sections (- 20 nm) of inorganic solids has been developed using ultramicrotomy of resin-embedded crystal fragments. Undamaged crystals, oriented along a crystallographic direction, could be imaged with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) at a resolution better than 0.5 nm. The true internal structure of the crystals could be investigated by imaging the second in a series of at least three consecutive ultrathin sections. Such TEM-tomography proved that Pt-ion exchanged FAU zeolite crystals, after reduction and oxidation, are occupied internally and randomly of large platinum clusters mainly in the {111-twin planes. TEM-tomography could be useful in man made nanostructures like semiconductors, epitaxial thin films, hard metal coatings, ceramics, catalysts, and biomaterials.
National Center for HREM, Inorganic Chemistry 2, Chemical Center, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden.
J O
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Bovin
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V
Alfredsson
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G
Karlsson
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A
Carlsson
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Z
Blum
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O
Terasaki