A study on atoms titled “Tracking Single Atoms in Liquid in a Transmission Electron Microscope” has been published in the journal Nature.
Researchers at the University of Manchester have stacked two-dimensional materials to create a new ‘nano-Petri dish’, which allows them to observe individual atoms as they move in liquid. The “double graphene liquid cell” contains a 2D layer of molybdenum disulfide (MoS) with liquid flowing through it while sandwiched between two layers of graphene. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the researchers were able to observe single atoms moving through the MoS layer.
The new footage from the experiment shows platinum atoms swimming in the liquid surrounding the (MoS). Bright spots appear and disappear, showing the platinum atoms as they adsorb or bind to the surface of the structure (MoS) before desorbing back into the liquid. Analysis of this footage will allow researchers to compare how atoms move in real life with theoretical predictions and determine how the liquid affects atomic behavior.
You can read more about the study here.