In project G1 conventional and high resolution aberration-corrected analytic transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as accompanying image calculations will be applied to determine the structure-property-relationship of nanoscaled objects.

The work is divided into a service part and a research part. Within the service part we will carry out TEM investigations for the partner projects of the SFB that includes conventional TEM such as bright- and dark-field imaging and electron diffraction to determine the morphology and crystal structure of various structures. Also high resolution TEM and spectroscopy (energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy) will be applied to resolve questions about the objects of the partner projects.

The research part consists of three sub-units: the investigations of beam-sensitive materials like polymers, the investigations of semi-conducting nanoparticles and –pillars, and finally metallic nanoparticles and metal-oxide surfaces (model catalysts). Within the collaboration projects produced organic nanomaterials (polymers) will be investigated by aberration corrected low-voltage TEM at 80kV. The experimental, preparative and theoretical (image calculation) requirements for visualizing such objects have been determined in pre-works. The aims of these first basic researches are to image beam sensitive structures with with resolution (0.2nm) and high contrast and this way open up a new field for TEM.

In the second part ZnO and Si nanopillars will be investigated by high resolution TEM and locally resolved spectroscopy (electron energy loss spectroscopy and energy filtered TEM). The structure, internal compositions as well as the interfaces between nanostructure and substrate will be investigated at atomic resolution. In the last part we will determine the interface, strain and three dimensional structure as well as the element distribution of multi-component metallic nanoparticles on crystalline metal oxides surfaces and in mesoporous metal oxide matrixes applying high resolution TEM and electron tomography.