Atomic Resolution Electron Microscopy: A Key Tool for Understanding the Activity of Nano-Oxides for Biomedical Applications

Transition metal oxides constitute one of the most fruitful sources of materials with continuously increasing potential applications prompted by the expectations derived from the reduction of the particle size. The recent advances in transmission electron microscopy, because of the development of lenses, have made it possible to reach atomic resolution, which can provide answers regarding the performance of the transition metal nano-oxides. This critical information is related not only to the ability to study their microstructural characteristics but also their local composition and the oxidat... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Alberto Azor-Lafarga
Isabel Gómez-Recio
M. Luisa Ruiz-González
José M. González-Calbet
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2021
Reihe/Periodikum: Nanomaterials, Vol 11, Iss 2073, p 2073 (2021)
Verlag/Hrsg.: MDPI AG
Schlagwörter: transition metal oxides / electron microscopy / atomic resolution / EELS / hollandite related mangnese oxides / Chemistry / QD1-999
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-29489717
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11082073

Transition metal oxides constitute one of the most fruitful sources of materials with continuously increasing potential applications prompted by the expectations derived from the reduction of the particle size. The recent advances in transmission electron microscopy, because of the development of lenses, have made it possible to reach atomic resolution, which can provide answers regarding the performance of the transition metal nano-oxides. This critical information is related not only to the ability to study their microstructural characteristics but also their local composition and the oxidation state of the transition metal. Exploring these features is a well-known task in nano-oxides for energy and electronic technologies, but they are not so commonly used for elucidating the activity of these oxides for biomedical applications. Nevertheless, the identification at the atomic level of a certain dopant or the unambiguous determination of the oxidation state of a transition metal in a nano-oxide can be important questions to be answered in a certain biomedical application. In this work, we provide several examples in transition metal nano-oxides to show how atomic-resolution electron microscopy can be a key tool for its understanding.