Overview
- Researchers from the Universities of Nottingham and Ulm directly imaged molten platinum, gold, and palladium on graphene using the SALVE low‑voltage transmission electron microscope.
- Some metal atoms remained fixed at graphene point defects even at high temperatures, and the defect density was increased by focusing the electron beam to control how many atoms were pinned.
- When pinned atoms formed a ring, the atomic corral trapped the interior metal as a supercooled liquid, keeping platinum liquid down to about 350°C, over 1,000°C below typical expectations.
- Under confinement the trapped liquid solidified into an amorphous, glass‑like metal that reverted to a normal crystalline structure once the corral was disrupted.
- The team reports this as the first corralling of atoms—previously achieved only for photons and electrons—with potential, still prospective, implications for catalyst behavior and efficient use of rare metals; the findings were published in ACS Nano (2025).