Scientists show how to prepare identical particles for analysis, eliminating the hunt

Using EMSL's unique custom-built mass spectrometer specially designed for ion soft landing, scientists prepared a homogeneous, contaminant-free sample of 11-atom gold clusters.

The researchers then analyzed the samples with EMSL's aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope, or TEM. Scientists use TEMs to obtain detailed data on the structure of new catalysts and other materials. However, the TEM analysis can destroy the subnanometer-sized particles being examined so scientists must continually hunt through conventional heterogeneous samples to find more of the particles to analyze. Finding particles of the same type in a heterogeneous sample is tedious, time consuming and often unsuccessful. Using the ion soft-landing sample preparation technique, researchers get the job done faster because all the particles are the same. The scientists will be using EMSL’s aberration-corrected TEM again, after it is moved into EMSL's new Quiet Wing.

More information:
GE Johnson, C Wang, T Priest, and J Laskin. 2011. "Monodisperse Au11 Clusters Prepared by Soft Landing of Mass Selected Ions." Analytical Chemistry. 83, 8069-8072. DOI: 10.1021/ac202520p

Provided by Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory