Open AccessElectron crystallography: imaging and single‐crystal diffraction from powders
Author(s) -
Zou Xiaodong,
Hovmöller Sven
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
acta crystallographica section a
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1600-5724
pISSN - 0108-7673
DOI - 10.1107/s0108767307060084
Subject(s) - electron crystallography , reflection high energy electron diffraction , electron diffraction , crystallography , gas electron diffraction , diffraction , electron backscatter diffraction , ultrafast electron diffraction , electron , selected area diffraction , resolution (logic) , materials science , transmission electron microscopy , energy filtered transmission electron microscopy , crystal structure , scanning transmission electron microscopy , x ray crystallography , electron microscope , chemistry , physics , optics , nanotechnology , computer science , microstructure , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence
The study of crystals at atomic level by electrons – electron crystallography – is an important complement to X‐ray crystallography. There are two main advantages of structure determinations by electron crystallography compared to X‐ray diffraction: (i) crystals millions of times smaller than those needed for X‐ray diffraction can be studied and (ii) the phases of the crystallographic structure factors, which are lost in X‐ray diffraction, are present in transmission‐electron‐microscopy (TEM) images. In this paper, some recent developments of electron crystallography and its applications, mainly on inorganic crystals, are shown. Crystal structures can be solved to atomic resolution in two dimensions as well as in three dimensions from both TEM images and electron diffraction. Different techniques developed for electron crystallography, including three‐dimensional reconstruction, the electron precession technique and ultrafast electron crystallography, are reviewed. Examples of electron‐crystallography applications are given. There is in principle no limitation to the complexity of the structures that can be solved by electron crystallography.