In Situ Probing of the Particle‐Mediated Mechanism of WO3‐Networked Structures Grown inside Confined Mesoporous Channels |
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Authors: | Lingling Zhang Jiang Li Hongjun You Chuansheng Ma Si Lan Zhenduo Wu Jianrong Zeng Feng Tian Jixiang Fang |
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Affiliation: | 1. Key Laboratory of Physical Electronics and Devices of Ministry of Education, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shann xi, China;2. Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China;3. Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China |
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Abstract: | Nanocasting, using ordered mesoporous silica or carbon as a hard template, has enormous potential for preparing novel mesoporous materials with new structures and compositions. Although a variety of mesoporous materials have been synthesized in recent years, the growth mechanism of nanostructures in a confined space, such as mesoporous channels, is not well understood, which hampers the controlled synthesis and further application of mesoporous materials. Here, the nucleation and growth of WO3‐networked mesostructures within an ordered mesoporous matrix, using an in situ transmission electron microscopy heating technique and in situ synchrotron small‐angle X‐ray scattering spectroscopy, are probed. It is found that the formation of WO3 mesostructures involves a particle‐mediated transformation and coalescence mechanism. The liquid‐like particle‐mediated aggregation and mesoscale transformation process can occur in ≈10 nm confined mesoporous channels, which is completely unexpected. The detailed mechanistic study will be of great help for experimental design and to exploit a variety of mesoporous materials for diverse applications, such as catalysis, absorption, separation, energy storage, biomedicine, and nanooptics. |
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Keywords: | confined spaces in situ transmission electron microscopy oriented attachment particle‐mediated mechanisms small‐angle X‐ray scattering spectroscopy |
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