Three-dimensional real-space crystallography of MCM-48 mesoporous silica revealed by scanning transmission electron tomography

Abstract

High-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron tomography has been used to reveal the three-dimensional lattice structure of the mesoporous silica MCM-48. The incoherent nature of the dark-field signal leads to directly interpretable images and three-dimensional tomographic reconstructions. The ability to manipulate the three-dimensional reconstruction allows the structure to be visualised at any orientation, revealing detail in projection or as slices not hitherto seen by direct imaging techniques. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.