With the latest publication from the Junior Research Group Modern Structural Chemistry led by Dr. Yaşar Krysiak, the team has now officially succeeded in establishing three-dimensional electron diffraction (3D ED) as a routine tool for determining the atomic structures of smallest particles at the Leibniz University Hannover. This still relatively young method enables insights into the atomic architecture of nanoparticles that are difficult or even impossible to access using other techniques.
In their newest publication Yann Schmitt demonstrated that, in addition to the measurement geometry, the intrinsic properties of the particles themselves play a decisive role in determining the final quality of the resulting structural models. In collaboration with Prof. Sergi Plana-Ruiz from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, a series of different ceramics — including prominent candidates for application in lithium batteries — was systematically investigated for the first time with regard to their potential for resolving finest structural details.
This not only represents a significant step toward a better understanding of the method itself, but also opens up a new spectrum of energy materials for future analyses using 3D ED.
The article entitled “Benchmarking 3D electron diffraction strategies for ceramics” has been published in the journal IUCrJ and was commented by Prof. Holger Klein from the University of Grenoble:
