{"paper_id":"401269b1-3e57-485c-84da-98bc9924bdb6","body_text":"Three-dimensional atomic interface between metal and oxide in Zr-ZrO2 nanoparticles | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Three-dimensional atomic interface between metal and oxide in Zr-ZrO 2 nanoparticles Jihan Zhou, Yao Zhang, Zezhou Li, Xing Tong, Zhiheng Xie, Siwei Huang, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3972857/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 02 Sep, 2024 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Metal-oxide interfaces with poor coherency have unique properties comparing to the bulk materials and offer broad applications in the fields of heterogeneous catalysis, battery, and electronics. However, current understanding of the three-dimensional (3D) atomic metal-oxide interfaces remains limited because of their inherent structural complexity and limitations of conventional two-dimensional imaging techniques. Here, we determine the 3D atomic structure of metal-oxide interfaces in zirconium-zirconia nanoparticles using atomic-resolution electron tomography. We quantitatively analyze the atomic concentration and the degree of oxidation, and find the coherency and translational symmetry of the interfaces are broken. Moreover, we observe porous structures such as Zr vacancies and nano-pores and investigate their distribution. Our findings provide a clear 3D atomic picture of metal-oxide interface with direct experimental evidence. We anticipate this work could encourage future studies on fundamental problems of oxides such as interfacial structures in semiconductor and atomic motion during oxidation process. Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology/Nanoscale materials/Nanoparticles Physical sciences/Materials science/Nanoscale materials/Nanoparticles Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files ZrZrO2interfaceNatureSupplementaryInformation20240219final.pdf MovieS1.mp4 SUPPLEMENTARY VIDEO 1 MovieS2.mp4 SUPPLEMENTARY VIDEO 2 MovieS3.mp4 SUPPLEMENTARY VIDEO 3 MovieS4.mp4 SUPPLEMENTARY VIDEO 4 Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 02 Sep, 2024 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {\"props\":{\"pageProps\":{\"initialData\":{\"identity\":\"rs-3972857\",\"acceptedTermsAndConditions\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":false,\"archivedVersions\":[],\"articleType\":\"Article\",\"associatedPublications\":[],\"authors\":[{\"id\":275209128,\"identity\":\"90844c2d-4008-4ced-9fe2-7b9e6824c01e\",\"order_by\":0,\"name\":\"Jihan 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