Advanced Electron Microscopy Imaging and Spectroscopy
DEPARTMENTS
DESCRIPTION
The department of Advanced Electron Microscopy, Imaging and Spectroscopy is a core multi-user facility that features cutting-edge instrumentation, techniques and expertise required for the characterization of samples in the physical and life sciences. The facility focuses on materials and biological research, development of novel techniques and instrumentation, as well as providing training, technical support and consultation in the areas of electron microscopy and spectroscopy. The center facility houses several electron microscopes that can probe the physical, electronic and chemical structure of matter down to the atomic scale. These instruments are coupled with advanced in-situ holders, in which the environment is controlled to match near-realistic conditions of operation, and the sample’s behavior is recorded dynamically in real time. State-of-the-art support facilities also are available including standard specimen preparation equipment and an image analysis laboratory.
RESEARCH GROUPS
The department of Advanced Electron Microscopy, Imaging and Spectroscopy is 
a core multi-user facility that features cutting-edge instrumentation, techniques and expertise required for the characterization of samples in the physical and life sciences.
The Nanostructured Materials group is involved in investigating fundamental aspects and phenomena at the atomic scale. This is achieved by employing state of the art aberration corrected TEM/STEM imaging as well as In situ TEM experimentation, in combination with image processing, simulations and theoretical calculations.
We have several current and ongoing collaborations with international researchers who are leading experts in the field.
Our work is published in leading international journals and include several review articles, book chapters and edited books.
We are always open for new team members. If you are interested in joining the team and applying for external funding (i.e. Marie Curie, FCT, etc.), let us know.
For further queries please contact the Research Group Leader: Francis Leonard Deepak.
INSTRUMENTATION
Transmission Electron Microscopy
Probe-Corrected FEI Titan G2 80-200 kV ChemiSTEM
Double-Corrected FEI Titan G3 Cubed Themis 60-300 kV
JEOL JEM 2100 80-200 kV
Scanning Electron Microscopy
FEI Helios NanoLab 450S DualBeam – FIB with UHREM FEG-SEM
FEI Quanta 650 FEG Environmental SEM (including Peltier and Heating Stage)
In Situ TEM Holders
1 FEI MEMS-based TEM heating and electrical holder
2 Gatan Cryo-TEM holders (FEI and JEOL microscopes)
Sample Preparation for Electron Microscopy
Vitrobot Mark IV
Plasma Cleaner Fischione 1020
Automated Critical Point Dryer Leica EM CPD300
Decontamination Chamber
Turbo Pumping Station Gatan 655
Ultrasonic Bath Branson 1800
Hotplate Stirrer Benchmark H4000-HSE
2 Desiccators
Cold Stage Controller Gatan SmartSet 900
5 Optical Microscopes:
Stereomicroscope Leica EZ4 (at FEI Titan Cubed Themis)
Stereomicroscope Leica EZ4 (at JEOL JEM 2100)
Stereomicroscope Nikon SMZ1000 (at FEI Titan ChemiSTEM)
Stereomicroscope Nikon SMZ 745 (at FEI Quanta)
Stereomicroscope Nikon SMZ 745 (at FEI Helios)
Software for Imaging Analysis
Digital Micrograph
Megacell
Vesta
Dr. Probe
Seg 3D
Serial EM
True Image
Esprit
INCA
Aztec
Inspect 3D
Amira
X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
Thermo Scientific Escalab 250 Xi
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
GROUP LEADERS
Paulo Ferreira
Atomic Structure Composition Materials
Francis Leonard Deepak
Nanostructured Materials
FACILITY MANAGERS
Alec LaGrow
Facility Manager
Enrique Carbó-Argibay
Facility Manager
Oleksandr Bondarchuk
Facility Manager
Oliver Schraidt
Facility Manager
HIGHLIGHTS
July 2018
Paper Published in Adv. Sci
In Situ Atomic-Scale Study of Particle-Mediated Nucleation and Growth in Amorphous Bismuth to Nanocrystal Phase Transformation, Junjie Li, Jiangchun Chen, Hua Wang, Na Chen, Zhongchang Wang, Lin Guo and Francis Leonard Deepak, Adv. Sci. 2018, 5, 1700992 (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/advs.201700992)
March 2018
Paper published in J. Phys. Chem. Lett
Direct Atomic-Scale Observation of Intermediate Pathways of Melting and Crystallization in Supported Bi-Nanoparticles, Junjie Li, Zhongchang Wang and Francis Leonard Deepak, J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2018, 9, 961-969.
January 2018
New Book Published by Springer
Title: Metal Nanoparticles and Clusters: Advances in Synthesis, Properties and Applications
Editor: Francis Leonard Deepak
September 2017
Invited Book Chapter from RSC published
Recent Highlights in advanced transmission electron microscopy techniques: applications to nanomaterials, Francis Leonard Deepak and Gilberto Casillas, Nanoscience (Specialist Periodical Reports, Royal Society of Chemistry), Vol 4, 2017, 4, 29-56 (Eds: P. John Thomas and Neerish Revaprasadu).
June 2017
Paper published in ACS Nano
In Situ Atomic-Scale Observation of Droplet Coalescence Driven Nucleation and Growth at Liquid/Solid Interfaces, Junjie Li, Zhongchang Wang, and Francis Leonard Deepak, ACS Nano, 2017, 11 (6), pp 5590–5597.
DESCRIPTION
The department of Advanced Electron Microscopy, Imaging and Spectroscopy is a core multi-user facility that features cutting-edge instrumentation, techniques and expertise required for the characterization of samples in the physical and life sciences. The facility focuses on materials and biological research, development of novel techniques and instrumentation, as well as providing training, technical support and consultation in the areas of electron microscopy and spectroscopy. The center facility houses several electron microscopes that can probe the physical, electronic and chemical structure of matter down to the atomic scale. These instruments are coupled with advanced in-situ holders, in which the environment is controlled to match near-realistic conditions of operation, and the sample’s behavior is recorded dynamically in real time. State-of-the-art support facilities also are available including standard specimen preparation equipment and an image analysis laboratory.
HIGHLIGHTS
July 2018
Paper Published in Adv. Sci
In Situ Atomic-Scale Study of Particle-Mediated Nucleation and Growth in Amorphous Bismuth to Nanocrystal Phase Transformation, Junjie Li, Jiangchun Chen, Hua Wang, Na Chen, Zhongchang Wang, Lin Guo and Francis Leonard Deepak, Adv. Sci. 2018, 5, 1700992 (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/advs.201700992)
March 2018
Paper published in J. Phys. Chem. Lett
Direct Atomic-Scale Observation of Intermediate Pathways of Melting and Crystallization in Supported Bi-Nanoparticles, Junjie Li, Zhongchang Wang and Francis Leonard Deepak, J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2018, 9, 961-969.
January 2018
New Book Published by Springer
Title: Metal Nanoparticles and Clusters: Advances in Synthesis, Properties and Applications
Editor: Francis Leonard Deepak
September 2017
Invited Book Chapter from RSC published
Recent Highlights in advanced transmission electron microscopy techniques: applications to nanomaterials, Francis Leonard Deepak and Gilberto Casillas, Nanoscience (Specialist Periodical Reports, Royal Society of Chemistry), Vol 4, 2017, 4, 29-56 (Eds: P. John Thomas and Neerish Revaprasadu).
June 2017
Paper published in ACS Nano
In Situ Atomic-Scale Observation of Droplet Coalescence Driven Nucleation and Growth at Liquid/Solid Interfaces, Junjie Li, Zhongchang Wang, and Francis Leonard Deepak, ACS Nano, 2017, 11 (6), pp 5590–5597.
INSTRUMENTATION
Transmission Electron Microscopy
Probe-Corrected FEI Titan G2 80-200 kV ChemiSTEM
Double-Corrected FEI Titan G3 Cubed Themis 60-300 kV
JEOL JEM 2100 80-200 kV
Scanning Electron Microscopy
FEI Helios NanoLab 450S DualBeam – FIB with UHREM FEG-SEM
FEI Quanta 650 FEG Environmental SEM (including Peltier and Heating Stage)
In Situ TEM Holders
1 FEI MEMS-based TEM heating and electrical holder
2 Gatan Cryo-TEM holders (FEI and JEOL microscopes)
Sample Preparation for Electron Microscopy
Vitrobot Mark IV
Plasma Cleaner Fischione 1020
Automated Critical Point Dryer Leica EM CPD300
Decontamination Chamber
Turbo Pumping Station Gatan 655
Ultrasonic Bath Branson 1800
Hotplate Stirrer Benchmark H4000-HSE
2 Desiccators
Cold Stage Controller Gatan SmartSet 900
5 Optical Microscopes:
Stereomicroscope Leica EZ4 (at FEI Titan Cubed Themis)
Stereomicroscope Leica EZ4 (at JEOL JEM 2100)
Stereomicroscope Nikon SMZ1000 (at FEI Titan ChemiSTEM)
Stereomicroscope Nikon SMZ 745 (at FEI Quanta)
Stereomicroscope Nikon SMZ 745 (at FEI Helios)
Software for Imaging Analysis
Digital Micrograph
Megacell
Vesta
Dr. Probe
Seg 3D
Serial EM
True Image
Esprit
INCA
Aztec
Inspect 3D
Amira
Atomic Force Microscopy
Bruker Dimension Icon with Scan Assyst
X-ray Diffraction
Anton Paar Small-angle X-ray Scattering
PanAnalytical X Pert PRO MRD X-ray Diffractometer
X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
Thermo Scientific Escalab 250 Xi
RESEARCH GROUPS
The department of Advanced Electron Microscopy, Imaging and Spectroscopy is a core multi-user facility that features cutting-edge instrumentation, techniques and expertise required for the characterization of samples in the physical and life sciences.
The Nanostructured Materials group is involved in investigating fundamental aspects and phenomena at the atomic scale. This is achieved by employing state of the art aberration corrected TEM/STEM imaging as well as In situ TEM experimentation, in combination with image processing, simulations and theoretical calculations.
We have several current and ongoing collaborations with international researchers who are leading experts in the field.
Our work is published in leading international journals and include several review articles, book chapters and edited books.
We are always open for new team members. If you are interested in joining the team and applying for external funding (i.e. Marie Curie, FCT, etc.), let us know.
For further queries please contact the Research Group Leader: Francis Leonard Deepak.
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
GROUP LEADERS
Paulo Ferreira
Atomic Structure Composition Materials
Francis Leonard Deepak
Nanostructured Materials
FACILITY MANAGERS
Enrique Carbó-Argibay
Facility Manager
Alex Bondarchuk
Facility Manager
Oliver Schraidt
Facility Manager
RESEARCH
DEPARTMENTS