A soft touch with electron beams: Digging out structural information of nanomaterials with advanced scanning low energy electron microscopy coupled with deep learning

In this report, we show how clearer structural and surface information at nanoscale can be obtained by SLEEM, coupled with deep learning. The method is demonstrated using Au nanoparticles-loaded mesoporous silica as a model system. Moreover, unlike conventional scanning electron microscopy (SEM), SLEEM does not require the samples to be coated with conductive films for analysis; thus, not only it is convenient to use but it also does not give artifacts. The results further reveal that SLEEM and deep learning can serve as great tools to analyze materials at nanoscale well. The biggest advantage of the presented method is its availability, as most modern SEMs are able to operate at low energies and deep learning methods are already being widely used in many fields.PMID:38640578 | DOI:10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.113965
Source: Ultramicroscopy - Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Source Type: research