Atomic-resolution imaging of gold species at organic liquid-solid interfaces
Abstract
Understanding solid-liquid interfaces at the atomic-scale is key to improved performance of heterogeneous catalysts, electrodes and membranes. Here we combine unique specimen design, record atomic resolution in situ electron microscopy, and artificial intelligence-enabled analysis to achieve a step change in quantitative understanding of interfacial atomic behaviour. We create the first graphene liquid cells with organic solvents and employ them to track over 106 gold adatoms and clusters at a graphene surface immersed in acetone and cyclohexanone. We reveal dynamic correlated behaviour of gold adatom monomers, dimers, trimers and clusters, strongly influenced by each other, the solvent properties, and the atomic lattice of the substrate, in good agreement with theoretical calculations. We use the results to interpret differences in catalytic activity towards the industrially important acetylene hydrochlorination reaction. This new capability for exploration of atomic scale chemistry could enable rational design of future catalysts, membranes and electrodes with improved functionality.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2603.08299,
title = {Atomic-resolution imaging of gold species at organic liquid-solid interfaces},
author = {Sam Sullivan-Allsop and Nick Clark and Wendong Wang and Rongsheng Cai and William Thornley and David G. Hopkinson and James G. McHugh and Ben Davies and Samuel Pattisson and Nicholas F. Dummer and Rui Zhang and Matthew Lindley and Gareth Tainton and Jack Harrison and Hugo De Latour and Joseph Parker and Joshua Swindell and Eli G. Castanon and Amy Carl and David J. Lewis and Natalia Martsinovich and Christopher S. Allen and Mohsen Danaie and Andrew J. Logsdail and Vladimir Falko and Graham J. Hutchings and Alex Summerfield and Roman Gorbachev and Sarah J. Haigh},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.08299},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
13 pages, 5 figures