open access

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/83303

Distinctive stability of a free-standing monolayer clay mineral nanosheet via transmission electron microscopy

英語

2020-11-21

Royal Society of Chemistry

Physical chemistry chemical physics

22(43)

25095-25102

Among 2D materials, clay mineral nanosheets have been extensively studied owing to their specific features, such as high surface charge and large surface area. Recently, we reported a stable free-standing (without any surfactants or matrices) monolayer clay mineral, characterized via annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (ADF-STEM) at the atomic-scale. Herein, we demonstrated that the monolayer clay mineral exhibited outstanding stability under electron beam irradiation compared to two- or three-layered nanosheets via electron diffraction analysis. In addition to its low thickness (similar to 1 nm-thick), the absence of an interlayer space was the critical factor contributing to the distinctive stability of the monolayer clay mineral, compared to that of the two- or three-layered clay mineral. The findings here inspire further investigation in free-standing clay mineral using (S)TEM and also for a wide variety of nanomaterials which are strongly hydrated.

学術雑誌論文

Accepted Manuscript

1463-9076