Agenda

The three-dimensional (3D) morphology and organization of nanomaterials play a central role in determining their properties and performance. Electron tomography, which reconstructs volumetric information from TEM projections at incremental tilt angles, has therefore become a crucial technique in materials science.[1] However, its application to heterogeneous, beam-sensitive, or disordered systems remains challenging and often requires specialized approaches.
In this talk, I will show how recent methodological advances across the full tomography pipeline – from sample preparation to deep-learning-based image processing and statistical 3D quantification – have enabled new insights into complex nanomaterials. I will discuss applications in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, where tomography revealed the 3D diffusion pathways of oxygen and protons in catalyst layers,[2] and enabled the identification of structural bottlenecks affecting mass transport to the reactive sites.[3] I will also highlight recent advances in the study of chiral plasmonic nanocrystals, where high-resolution and high-throughput 3D imaging has provided mechanistic understanding and enabled direct correlations between the particle shape and optical response.[4,5] Together, these examples underscore the growing capabilities of 3D electron microscopy not only to elucidate nanoscale shapes and structures, but also to support the development of design rules across diverse classes of functional nanomaterials.
[1] R. Girod, E. Vlasov, L. M. Liz-Marzán, S. Bals, Nano Lett. 2025, 25, 7629.
[2] R. Girod, T. Lazaridis, H. A. Gasteiger, V. Tileli, Nat. Catal. 2023, 6, 383.
[3] R. Girod, V. Tileli, Adv. Energy Mat. 2025, In press.
[4] K. Van Gordon*, B. Ni*, R. Girod*, M. Mychinko, F. Bevilacqua, S. Bals, L. M. Liz-Marzán, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63, e202403116.
[5] K. Van Gordon*, R. Girod*, F. Bevilacqua, S. Bals, L. M. Liz-Marzán, Nano Lett. 2025, 25, 2887.