(Invited) Synchrotron-Based Hard X-Ray Microscopy: Instruments for 3-D Spectroscopic Imaging at the Nanoscale

Abstract

Advances in materials increasingly rely on the 3-D characteristics of its microstructure and chemistry at the nanoscale. This presentation will review 3-D spectroscopic imaging techniques that measure microstructural and chemical properties, and discuss its influence on material function and performance. The presentation will then focus on two synchrotron-based 3-D spectroscopic imaging instruments: the Transmission X-ray Microscope (TXM) and the Hard X-ray Nanoprobe (HXN) to characterize the 3-D structural and chemical distribution of fuel cell, gas separation membrane and nuclear waste form materials. Challenges and opportunities for future work will then be discussed. The goal of this research will be to obtain a scientific and engineering understanding into how microstructure-induced transport mechanisms govern performance, with a long-term goal to improve current materials and create new materials that will enable improved device performance and increased long-term reliability for advanced engineering applications.