Three-dimensional atomic imaging of crystalline nanoparticles

Many engineering and chemical applications make use of crystalline nanoparticles, harnessing properties that are controlled by their precise three-dimensional morphology, structure and composition. Sandra Van Aert and colleagues demonstrate that it is possible to obtain full three-dimensional structural information for such particles at atomic resolution using a mix of electron tomography and electron microscopy, coupled with separately available knowledge of the crystallographic structure of the target nanoparticle. Such information should ultimately lead to a better understanding of the desirable properties of these systems.