Scientific Achievement
Highest-ever spatial resolution mapping of the nanocrystalline structure present in small molecule systems.
Significance and Impact
The nanostructure in organic semiconductors used in photovoltaics and organic electronics has a direct effect on functional properties such as electrical conduction or optical absorption.
Research Details
- Scanning nanobeam electron diffraction can directly visualize the arrangement of molecules.
- Demonstrates the potential of electron microscopy to investigate the microstructure of organic thin films in a quantitative manner that does not involve averaging, but actual direct measurements.
- The work used fast direct electron detectors and cryoEM, and future studies will benefit from advances in these techniques.
