Tritium for Nanoscale Hydrogen Analysis by Atom Probe Tomography.

Authors

Maria Vrellou, Alexander Welle, Stefan Wagner, Marco Weber, Rolf Rolli, Hans-Christian Schneider, Astrid Pundt, Xufei Fang, Christoph Kirchlechner

Published in

Microscopy and microanalysis : the official journal of Microscopy Society of America, Microbeam Analysis Society, Microscopical Society of Canada. Volume 32. Issue 6. Oct 12, 2026.

Abstract

Accurate nanoscale detection of hydrogen is essential for understanding hydrogen-related phenomena in materials, yet conventional tracing with deuterium is often complicated by residual background hydrogen. This study evaluates tritium as a highly resolvable isotopic marker for nanoscale hydrogen analysis in metals using atom probe tomography (APT). Titanium was selected for its ability to incorporate hydrogen isotopes, providing a suitable platform for tritium detection. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and electron backscatter diffraction were performed prior to tritium charging to characterize the initial composition and microstructure. Atom probe tomography in laser mode before and after tritium charging, at three post-charging time intervals, enables tracking of tritium incorporation over time. Thermal desorption analysis confirmed the presence of tritium and complemented the secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements, highlighting the role of the surface oxide layer in modulating tritium release. While tritium, deuterium, and protium differ in their diffusion and trapping behavior, the distinct mass signal associated with tritium provides a practical advantage for resolving hydrogen at very low concentrations. This work serves as a fundamental benchmarking study for leveraging tritium and APT as a combined tool for understanding hydrogen in materials, relevant for interpreting local processes such as hydrogen embrittlement.

PMID:
43023818
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 13 Nov 2026.

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