(1.College of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China) (2.Key Laboratory of Interface Science and Engineering in Advanced Materials of Ministry of Education,
The progresses such as mechanical deformation and phase transition, crystal growth, charge separation and transportation, catalysis are basically interface problems in materials. These interface phenomena depend on the atomic configuration and electronic structure at interfaces. Accordingly, we can endow the materials specialized functions by design the interface structures at atomic and electronic scale. In this brief review, three interfaces, solidsolid, solidliquid and solidgas are discussed. New research progresses on interface of materials, including the atomic structure characterization, the interface application on charge separation in photocatalysis and solar cell, visualization and quantification of 2D electron gas using inline electron holography, the evolution of interface during materials growth and catalysis are introduced. These new findings show an unprecedented knowledge on the atomic structure and electronic structure of material interface. The structure and property relationship was revealed directly and would inspire creative works to design more complex and efficient material interfaces.