Displacement modes of nanocrystalline Pt under electron irradiation damage

Electron beam irradiation often causes lattice damage at material surfaces and interfaces, yet the mechanisms of beam-induced atomic displacements at high-Z metal surfaces are not well understood. Using 200 kV transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we investigated the thermal spike effect on the structural transitions of the Pt lattice under electron irradiation. In situ TEM characterization reveals that atomic displacements in lattice amorphization are driven by the thermal effect, which occurs from in-plane to out-of-plane directions relative to the crystallographic orientation. Furthermore, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations indicate that the ideal Pt (111) lattice without distortion exhibits enhanced irradiation tolerance due to its relatively high thermal conductivity. These findings elucidate how lattice defects influence electron radiation tolerance, providing valuable insights for designing high-Z metal-based nanostructures with enhanced resistance to electron irradiation.