New nanoimage method allows for a better understanding of the correlation between structure, conductivity and chemical composition of nanostructures

(Nanowerk News) The Cooperative Research Centre CIC nanoGUNE and the technological centre IK4-CIDETEC have presented a new nanoimage method which allows for a better understanding of the correlation between structure, conductivity and chemical composition of nanostructures in the prestigious scientific journals, Nature Communications ("Correlative infrared–electron nanoscopy reveals the local structure–conductivity relationship in zinc oxide nanowires").
The method presented by both centres located in San Sebastián, called Correlative Infrared–Electron Nanoscopy, combines two nanoimage techniques. One of the techniques provides information on the atomic resolution of the samples while the other provides maps of chemical composition and the conductivity of the material studied.
The work which has led to the design of the new nanoimage method is in line with the latest research in the science of materials. The main objective of the field is to understand the properties of the materials at a nanometric scale.
According to Reiner Hillenbrand, leader of CIC nanoGUNE’s nano-optics group, the method has great potential to study new materials like graphene or biological or organic nanostructures.
Ramón Tena-Zaera, director of IK4-CIDETEC’s Photovoltaic Unit, underlines the great advantage, thanks to the new technique, in obtaining all the information from a single sample.
Source: Basque Research