Quantitative Structural Analysis of Nanoparticles Using Electron Pair Distribution Function (ePDF)

Quantitatively determining the atomic arrangement of nanomaterials is essential in nanoscience. While the traditional method of X-ray crystallography fails because of limited size of coherent structural domains within nanomaterials, a specialized approach, known as the atomic pair distribution function (PDF) method, has emerged as a powerful tool to obtain quantitative 3D structural information of nanomaterials [1]. However, currently, most PDF experiments are carried out at X-ray synchrotron or neutron sources from a large user facility, where access is limited. Here, we present that electron diffraction data that are collected in a standard transmission electron microscope (TEM) can be used to quantitatively determine nanostructures by using the ePDF technique [2].