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Journal ArticleDOI

Electron tomography and holography in materials science

01 Apr 2009-Nature Materials (Nature Publishing Group)-Vol. 8, Iss: 4, pp 271-280
TL;DR: An overview of the techniques of electron tomography and electron holography is presented and their capabilities with the aid of case studies that span materials science and the interface between the physical sciences and the life sciences are demonstrated.
Abstract: The rapid development of electron tomography, in particular the introduction of novel tomographic imaging modes, has led to the visualization and analysis of three-dimensional structural and chemical information from materials at the nanometre level. In addition, the phase information revealed in electron holograms allows electrostatic and magnetic potentials to be mapped quantitatively with high spatial resolution and, when combined with tomography, in three dimensions. Here we present an overview of the techniques of electron tomography and electron holography and demonstrate their capabilities with the aid of case studies that span materials science and the interface between the physical sciences and the life sciences.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This communication presents a synthesis process to grow MoS2 and MoSe2 thin films with vertically aligned layers, thereby maximally exposing the edges on the film surface, and confirmed their catalytic activity in a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), in which the exchange current density correlates directly with the density of the exposed edge sites.
Abstract: Layered materials consist of molecular layers stacked together by weak interlayer interactions. They often crystallize to form atomically smooth thin films, nanotubes, and platelet or fullerene-like nanoparticles due to the anisotropic bonding. Structures that predominately expose edges of the layers exhibit high surface energy and are often considered unstable. In this communication, we present a synthesis process to grow MoS2 and MoSe2 thin films with vertically aligned layers, thereby maximally exposing the edges on the film surface. Such edge-terminated films are metastable structures of MoS2 and MoSe2, which may find applications in diverse catalytic reactions. We have confirmed their catalytic activity in a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), in which the exchange current density correlates directly with the density of the exposed edge sites.

1,976 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Huang et al. as mentioned in this paper developed ultrathin plasmonic metasurfaces to provide 3D optical holographic image reconstruction in the visible and near-infrared regions for circularly polarized light.
Abstract: Holographic techniques allow for the construction of 3D images by controlling the wave front of light beams. Huang et al. develop ultrathin plasmonic metasurfaces to provide 3D optical holographic image reconstruction in the visible and near-infrared regions for circularly polarized light.

1,129 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work presents an alternative strategy based on control over collective properties, revealing the pronounced impact of the three-dimensional nanospatial distribution of metal particles on catalyst stability and paves the way towards the rational design of practically relevant catalysts and other nanomaterials with enhanced stability and functionality.
Abstract: Supported metal nanoparticles play a pivotal role in areas such as nanoelectronics, energy storage/conversion and as catalysts for the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals. However, the tendency of nanoparticles to grow into larger crystallites is an impediment for stable performance. Exemplarily, loss of active surface area by metal particle growth is a major cause of deactivation for supported catalysts. In specific cases particle growth might be mitigated by tuning the properties of individual nanoparticles, such as size, composition and interaction with the support. Here we present an alternative strategy based on control over collective properties, revealing the pronounced impact of the three-dimensional nanospatial distribution of metal particles on catalyst stability. We employ silica-supported copper nanoparticles as catalysts for methanol synthesis as a showcase. Achieving near-maximum interparticle spacings, as accessed quantitatively by electron tomography, slows down deactivation up to an order of magnitude compared with a catalyst with a non-uniform nanoparticle distribution, or a reference Cu/ZnO/Al(2)O(3) catalyst. Our approach paves the way towards the rational design of practically relevant catalysts and other nanomaterials with enhanced stability and functionality, for applications such as sensors, gas storage, batteries and solar fuel production.

580 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: New X-ray diffraction techniques, which take advantage of the latest synchrotron radiation sources, can be used to obtain quantitative three-dimensional images of strain, leading to new knowledge of how nanomaterials behave within active devices and on unprecedented timescales.
Abstract: The understanding and management of strain is of fundamental importance in the design and implementation of materials. The strain properties of nanocrystalline materials are different from those of the bulk because of the strong influence of their surfaces and interfaces, which can be used to augment their function and introduce desirable characteristics. Here we explain how new X-ray diffraction techniques, which take advantage of the latest synchrotron radiation sources, can be used to obtain quantitative three-dimensional images of strain. These methods will lead, in the near future, to new knowledge of how nanomaterials behave within active devices and on unprecedented timescales.

563 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
17 Feb 2011-Nature
TL;DR: 3D reconstruction of a complex crystalline nanoparticle at atomic resolution is reported, which helps close the gap between the atomic resolution achievable in two-dimensional electron micrographs and the coarser resolution that has hitherto been obtained by conventional electron tomography.
Abstract: Determining the three-dimensional (3D) arrangement of atoms in crystalline nanoparticles is important for nanometre-scale device engineering and also for applications involving nanoparticles, such as optoelectronics or catalysis. A nanoparticle's physical and chemical properties are controlled by its exact 3D morphology, structure and composition. Electron tomography enables the recovery of the shape of a nanoparticle from a series of projection images. Although atomic-resolution electron microscopy has been feasible for nearly four decades, neither electron tomography nor any other experimental technique has yet demonstrated atomic resolution in three dimensions. Here we report the 3D reconstruction of a complex crystalline nanoparticle at atomic resolution. To achieve this, we combined aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, statistical parameter estimation theory and discrete tomography. Unlike conventional electron tomography, only two images of the target--a silver nanoparticle embedded in an aluminium matrix--are sufficient for the reconstruction when combined with available knowledge about the particle's crystallographic structure. Additional projections confirm the reliability of the result. The results we present help close the gap between the atomic resolution achievable in two-dimensional electron micrographs and the coarser resolution that has hitherto been obtained by conventional electron tomography.

506 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a method for finding a real function in a finite region of a plane given its line integrals along all straight lines intersecting the region was given, and the solution found is applicable to three problems of interest for precise radiology and radiotherapy: (1) the determination of a variable x-ray absorption coefficient in two dimensions, (2) the distribution of positron annihilations when there is an inhomogeneous distribution of the positron emitter in matter, and (3) a variable density of matter with constant chemical composition, using the energy loss
Abstract: A method is given of finding a real function in a finite region of a plane given its line integrals along all straight lines intersecting the region. The solution found is applicable to three problems of interest for precise radiology and radiotherapy: (1) the determination of a variable x‐ray absorption coefficient in two dimensions; (2) the determination of the distribution of positron annihilations when there is an inhomogeneous distribution of the positron emitter in matter; and (3) the determination of a variable density of matter with constant chemical composition, using the energy loss of charged particles in the matter.

1,409 citations


"Electron tomography and holography ..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Nearly 50 years later, tomographic X-ray scanning for 3D medical imaging was propose...

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that in general ART produces erroneous reconstructions, and an alternative iterative method is proposed which will give correct reconstructions under certain conditions.

1,312 citations


"Electron tomography and holography ..." refers methods in this paper

  • ...The second is an iterative scheme in which a reconstruction is re-projected along the original tilt series directions for comparison with the original recorded image...

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
13 Jan 1968-Nature
TL;DR: General principles are formulated for the objective reconstruction of a three dimensional object from a set of electron microscope images and applied to the calculation of aThree dimensional density map of the tail of bacteriophage T4.
Abstract: General principles are formulated for the objective reconstruction of a three dimensional object from a set of electron microscope images. These principles are applied to the calculation of a three dimensional density map of the tail of bacteriophage T4.

1,239 citations


"Electron tomography and holography ..." refers background in this paper

  • ...The first paper described the determination of the structure of a biological macromolecule — the helical symmetry of which allowed reconstruction from a single projectio...

    [...]

MonographDOI
02 Mar 2006
TL;DR: In this article, a three-dimensional reconstruction interpretation of 3D images of macromolecules is presented. Butts et al. reconstructed macromoles from micrographs of single macromolcules.
Abstract: Electron microscopy of macromolecular assemblies two-dimensional averaging techniques multivariate statistical analysis and classification of images three-dimensional reconstruction interpretation of three-dimensional images of macromolecules example of an application - calcium release channel. Appendices: software implementations macromolecular assemblies reconstructed from micrographs of single macromolecules.

1,117 citations


"Electron tomography and holography ..." refers background in this paper

  • ...; (2) single-particle analysis, in which images of the same 'particle' (for example a virus) are recorded at different, often random, orientation...

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The projected structures of two unstained periodic biological specimens, the purple membrane and catalase, have been determined by electron microscopy to resolutions of 7 A and 9 A, respectively.

1,045 citations


"Electron tomography and holography ..." refers methods in this paper

  • ...Three methods evolved: (1) electron crystallography, in which diffraction patterns and/or high-resolution images are recorded from biological systems, such as proteins, for which crystals can be grow...

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