Electron Diffraction Tomography for Structural Elucidation of MOF Nano-sized Crystals.

Equipment, AAP 2019-2

Team : Institute of Porous Materials of Paris

Abstract :

Structural elucidation of the nanocrystalline material becomes very challenging where in some cases high resolution powder X-ray diffraction reaches its limits (ie. large unit cells are large and/or complex structure). In this regard, complementary advanced characterization techniques are required to alleviate the limitation of the commonly used ones. Electron diffraction tomography (EDT) (or more generally, Electron crystallography) is an emerging technique that have shown high advances in structural elucidation of different kinds of fragile crystalline materials.

The main objective of this PhD project aims at the development, for the first time in IdF, of a methodology (data collection and processing) allowing the use of precession electron diffraction tomography (PEDT) for the structural elucidation of beam sensitive nanocrystalline materials, primarily, MOFs. It will rely on the expertise of IMAP members in crystallochemistry of MOFs as well as the expertise of our partners from C2N in high resolution electron microscopy together with their access to top-notch ultra-high-resolution electron microscopes.

Themes :

Time resolved and multi-techniques characterization

Collaborations :

Center for Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies (C2N)