New Technique Could Shed Light on Nanoscale Phenomena Written by AZoNanoMay 17 2021 Nowadays, several well-studied materials in numerous fields like catalysis and electronics are in the vicinity of reaching their practical limits. (left) Schematic illustration of the technique. The stiffness of nanomaterials such as platinum (Pt) atomic chains can be measured using a length-extension resonator (LER) made with a quartz crystal. The atomic structure of the chain can be observed using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). We found that the atomic bond strength in the Pt monoatomic chains is 25 N/m, which is higher than the bulk value (20 N/m). (right) Experimental and simulated TEM images of a monoatomic Pt chain and time evolution of its electrical conductance and stiffness during stretching. The maximum strain was 24% on average. Image Credit: Yoshifumi Oshima.