Dynamic sparse x-ray nanotomography reveals ionomer hydration mechanism in polymer electrolyte fuel-cell catalyst
Tomographic imaging of time-evolving samples is a challenging yet important task for various research fields. At the nanoscale, current approaches face limitations of measurement speed or resolution due to lengthy acquisitions. We developed a dynamic nanotomography technique based on sparse dynamic imaging and 4D tomography modeling. We demonstrated the technique, using ptychographic x-ray computed tomography as its imaging modality, on resolving the in situ hydration process of polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) catalyst. The technique provides a 40-time increase in temporal resolution compared to conventional approaches, yielding 28 nm half-period spatial and 12 min temporal resolution. The results allow a quantitative characterization of the water intake process inside PEFC catalysts with nanoscale resolution, which is crucial for understanding their electrochemical mechanisms and optimizing their performance. Our technique enables high-speed operando nanotomography studies and paves the way for wider application of dynamic tomography at the nanoscale.
WOS:001331714900021
39383223
Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain
Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain
Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain
Technical University of Darmstadt
Technical University of Darmstadt
University of Erlangen Nuremberg
Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain
Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain
Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
2024-10-09
10
41
eadp3346
REVIEWED
EPFL