MRI: Acquisition of an Energy-Filtering, Direct Electron Detector for Advanced Soft and Hard Materials Research with In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy

Arizona State University, Scottsdale AZ

Investigators

Abstract

This project provides a novel detection system for an electron microscope enabling unprecedented advances in imaging and spectroscopy to resolve fundamental scientific issues in biology, energy, environmental sciences and quantum information technologies. Such advances make enormous contributions toward understanding how atoms arrange and bond in materials in both their native and working states, thereby providing completely new insights that enhances understanding and increases our ability to manipulate and control chemical, material, and biological systems. The researchers have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion in their research, outreach, and educational activities. This novel system is accessible to researchers outside ASU and thus give significant regional impact. The wonders of materials/biological structures and functionalities obtained from this system are communicated to rural and underprivileged K-12 communities through the well-developed programs in the Fulton Schools of Engineering and the College of Liberal Arts and Science. In addition, the researchers have developed programs for student leadership initiatives and female participation related to materials and microscopy at the Microscopy Society of America, as well as in the annual Electron Microscopy Winter School hosted at ASU. This system is a novel, high-sensitivity, energy-filtering, direct electron detector to install on an aberration-corrected in situ FEI Titan environmental transmission electron microscope. This new system provides unprecedented sensitivity for imaging and spectroscopy, and mitigates the long-standing electron beam induced damage problems that has plagued analysis of many materials and biological systems. This project enables four key research areas that have been identified by their scientific importance and impact to the broader communities: (1) Understanding the structure of soft/biological materials and their interfaces with hard materials. (2) Observing functionally important defects and structural heterogeneities in zeolites and metal-organic frameworks at atomic resolution. (3) In situ, real-time, atomic-level identification and dynamic characterization of active sites in catalysts. (4) Developing single-photon sources (SPSs) from point defects in solid-state materials is critical for many scalable quantum technologies This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.