Studying Reaction Mechanisms in Solution Using a Distributed Electron Microscopy Method.

Abstract

Electron microscopy (EM) of materials undergoing chemical reactions provides knowledge of the underlying mechanisms. However, the mechanisms are often complex and cannot be fully resolved using a single method. Here, we present a distributed electron microscopy method for studying complex reactions. The method combines information from multiple stages of the reaction and from multiple EM methods, including liquid phase EM (LP-EM), cryogenic EM (cryo-EM), and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET). We demonstrate this method by studying the desilication mechanism of zeolite crystals. Collectively, our data reveal that the reaction proceeds <i>via</i> a two-step anisotropic etching process and that the defects in curved surfaces and between the subunits in the crystal control the desilication kinetics by directing mass transport.