Structural Evolution of Hydrothermal-Synthesized Ni(SO4)0.3(OH)1.4 Nanobelts During ex Situ Heat Treatment and in Situ Electron Irradiation

Nickel hydroxyl sulfate (Ni(SO 4 ) 0.3 (OH) 1.4 ) nanobelts were obtained via a simple template-free hydrothermal reaction. The structural evolution of Ni(SO 4 ) 0.3 (OH) 1.4 nanobelts during ex situ heat treatment and in situ electron irradiation are investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques mainly including bright-field imaging, selected-area electron diffraction combined with kinematic simulations, and high-resolution TEM. The transformation from Ni(SO 4 ) 0.3 (OH) 1.4 to NiO can be observed in both ex situ and in situ experiments. Based on the TEM results, the structural evolution is clarified and the preliminary structural framework of Ni(SO 4 ) 0.3 (OH) 1.4 is proposed. This structural evolution also provides an excellent approach for large-scale production and/or modification of NiO nanoparticles.