Exploring Nanomaterials through Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Chemistry at Nanoscale".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (24 October 2024) | Viewed by 4955

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Physics, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Republic of Korea
Interests: atomic-scale imaging and spectroscopy; electron energy loss spectroscopy

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Guest Editor
Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
Interests: electron microscopy; electron holography; 4D-STEM
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding the intricacies of nanoscience and nanotechnology relies heavily on scrutinizing atomic-scale structures, chemical compositions, and electronic states. Over the past decades, electron microscopy has undergone a transformative evolution propelled by advancements in aberration correctors, monochromators, ultrafast electron detectors, computational power, and data analysis methods. Consequently, electron microscopy and spectroscopy have emerged as indispensable tools for uncovering the mysteries concealed within nanoscale entities.

In this Special Issue, researchers are invited to share their insights and discoveries facilitated by advanced electron microscopy techniques. Contributions may encompass a range of approaches, including atomic-scale imaging and quantification, electron energy loss spectroscopy, cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, convergent electron beam diffraction, scanning electron nanodiffraction, electron holography, electron tomography, in situ or operando experiments, and machine learning-driven analyses.

Original research articles and reviews are especially welcome for this Special Issue. We eagerly anticipate your valuable contributions.

Dr. Sangmoon Yoon
Dr. Janghyun Jo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • electron microscopy
  • electron diffraction
  • electron beam spectroscopy
  • structural characterization
  • image quantification
  • machine learning-based analysis

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 1226 KiB  
Communication
Investigating Charge-Induced Transformations of Metal Nanoparticles in a Radically-Inert Liquid: A Liquid-Cell TEM Study
by Kunmo Koo, Jong Hyeok Seo, Joohyun Lee, Sooheyong Lee and Ji-Hwan Kwon
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(21), 1709; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14211709 - 26 Oct 2024
Viewed by 2999
Abstract
We present a novel in situ liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy (TEM) approach to study the behavior of metal nanoparticles under high-energy electron irradiation. By utilizing a radically-inert liquid environment, we aim to minimize radiolysis effects and explore the influence of charge-induced transformations. We [...] Read more.
We present a novel in situ liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy (TEM) approach to study the behavior of metal nanoparticles under high-energy electron irradiation. By utilizing a radically-inert liquid environment, we aim to minimize radiolysis effects and explore the influence of charge-induced transformations. We observed complex dynamics in nanoparticle behavior, including morphological changes and transitions between amorphous and crystalline states. These transformations are attributed to the delicate interplay between charge accumulation on the nanoparticles and enhanced radiolysis, suggesting a significant role for charge-assisted processes in nanoparticle evolution. Our findings provide valuable insights into the fundamental mechanisms driving nanoparticle behavior at the nanoscale and demonstrate the potential of liquid-cell TEM for studying complex physicochemical processes in controlled environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Nanomaterials through Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy)
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10 pages, 3009 KiB  
Article
Unsupervised Learning for the Automatic Counting of Grains in Nanocrystals and Image Segmentation at the Atomic Resolution
by Woonbae Sohn, Taekyung Kim, Cheon Woo Moon, Dongbin Shin, Yeji Park, Haneul Jin and Hionsuck Baik
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(20), 1614; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14201614 - 10 Oct 2024
Viewed by 953
Abstract
Identifying the grain distribution and grain boundaries of nanoparticles is important for predicting their properties. Experimental methods for identifying the crystallographic distribution, such as precession electron diffraction, are limited by their probe size. In this study, we developed an unsupervised learning method by [...] Read more.
Identifying the grain distribution and grain boundaries of nanoparticles is important for predicting their properties. Experimental methods for identifying the crystallographic distribution, such as precession electron diffraction, are limited by their probe size. In this study, we developed an unsupervised learning method by applying a Gabor filter to HAADF-STEM images at the atomic level for image segmentation and automatic counting of grains in polycrystalline nanoparticles. The methodology comprises a Gabor filter for feature extraction, non-negative matrix factorization for dimension reduction, and K-means clustering. We set the threshold distance and angle between the clusters required for the number of clusters to converge so as to automatically determine the optimal number of grains. This approach can shed new light on the nature of polycrystalline nanoparticles and their structure–property relationships. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Nanomaterials through Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy)
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Review

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18 pages, 4113 KiB  
Review
Electron Holography for Advanced Characterization of Permanent Magnets: Demagnetization Field Mapping and Enhanced Precision in Phase Analysis
by Sujin Lee
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(24), 2046; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14242046 - 20 Dec 2024
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Abstract
This review explores a method of visualizing a demagnetization field (Hd) within a thin-foiled Nd2Fe14B specimen using electron holography observation. Mapping the Hd is critical in electron holography as it provides the only information on [...] Read more.
This review explores a method of visualizing a demagnetization field (Hd) within a thin-foiled Nd2Fe14B specimen using electron holography observation. Mapping the Hd is critical in electron holography as it provides the only information on magnetic flux density. The Hd map within a Nd2Fe14B thin foil, derived from this method, showed good agreement with the micromagnetic simulation result, providing valuable insights related to coercivity. Furthermore, this review examines the application of the wavelet hidden Markov model (WHMM) for noise suppression in thin-foiled Nd2Fe14B crystals. The results show significant suppression of artificial phase jumps in the reconstructed phase images due to the poor visibility of electron holograms under the narrowest fringe spacing required for spatial resolution in electron holography. These techniques substantially enhance the precision of phase analysis and are applicable to a wide range of magnetic materials, enabling more accurate magnetic characterization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Nanomaterials through Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy)
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