In-Situ Dynamic High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy Investigation of Guest-Layer Behavior During Deintercalation of Mercury Titanium Disulfide

Abstract

ABSTRACTDeintercalation processes for the model neutral intercalation system HgxTiS2 (1.25≥x>0.00) have been investigated using dynamic high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. X-ray powder diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated the intercalation process is thermally reversible, both structurally and compositionally. In situ deintercalation of stage- 1 compounds was induced by thermal/electron-beam heating during DHRTEM observation. The resulting deintercalation processes were followed with 0.03 second time resolution. The deintercalation processes observed possess a strong similarity to nucleation and growth processes. Deintercalation was observed to “nucleate” by the initial deintercalation of an external-most or internal guest layer, with further deintercalation of the guest “growing” away from the onset layers. This results in generally randogmuelsyt lsatyaegresd greengeiroanllsy, occasionally containing regions of short-range order, that expand away from the deintercalation onset layers.