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Title
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Fast approaches for investigating 3D elemental distribution in nanomaterials
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Author
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Abstract
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| Precise determination of 3D distribution of chemical elements is a problem of key importance for a range of advanced nanomaterials. Examples of such materials are catalysts, semiconductor electronics and nanoparticles with advanced optical properties, where even minute changes in the elemental distribution drastically alter the relevant properties of the material. Currently, among the best-suited methods to analyze the elemental distribution in materials at the nanoscale are techniques based on a combination of transmission electron microscopy, spectroscopy and tomography, which offer excellent spatial resolution, high elemental sensitivity and the ability to retrieve the full 3D structure of the studied object. Unfortunately, these methods require very long acquisition times, which does not allow to apply them for high-throughput studies, such as statistical analysis of nanomaterials, in industrial settings or for investigating dynamic processes in materials. Moreover, the long exposure to the electron beam damages the materials under investigation, further limiting the applicability of such techniques. In this thesis, the problem of high acquisition time and electron irradiation dose requirements for 3D analysis of elemental distribution in nanomaterials is approached by developing new improved methods for this task and optimizing the existing methodology for data acquisition and analysis. The utility of the proposed approaches for answering relevant materials science questions is demonstrated and the outlook on the future developments in this field is outlined. |
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Language
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English
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Related dataset(s)
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Publication
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Antwerp
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University of Antwerp, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics
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2021
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Volume/pages
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143 p.
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Note
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Bals, Sara [Supervisor]
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Full text (open access)
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