Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2026
08:44
Measurements of Long-range Electronic Correlations During Femtosecond Diffraction Experiments Performed on Nanocrystals of Buckminsterfullerene
Published on: August 22, 2017
Interpretation of electron diffraction patterns from amorphous and fullerene-like carbon allotropes
1Research Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 49, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary. czigany@mfa.kfki.hu
Ultramicroscopy
|March 2, 2010
Summary
Short-range order in amorphous carbon compounds like fullerene-like CN(x) and CP(x) was studied. Findings reveal sheet curvature in CN(x) and C(20)-like fragments in CP(x) carbon materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Solid State Physics
Background:
- Amorphous carbon materials exhibit complex structures.
- Fullerene-like carbon compounds are of interest due to their unique properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the short-range order in amorphous and fullerene-like carbon compounds.
- To compare experimental data with simulations of model nanoclusters.
Main Methods:
- Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED) patterns were used to analyze short-range order.
- High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) provided complementary imaging.
- Simulations of model nanoclusters were employed for comparison.
Main Results:
- SAED patterns of fullerene-like CN(x) showed similarities to graphite but with peak shifts indicating sheet curvature.
- Fullerene-like CP(x) diffraction patterns suggest fragments with short-range order and high curvature, akin to C(20).
Conclusions:
- The study elucidates the short-range order and structural characteristics of fullerene-like carbon compounds.
- Electron diffraction and microscopy combined with simulations offer insights into complex carbon nanostructures.
Related Concept Videos
02:18X-ray Crystallography
The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
01:29Determination of Crystal Structures
In the late 1800s, the revelation that light extended beyond visible wavelengths led to the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen. Recognized as high-energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths, X-rays prompted exploration into their interaction with crystals. Max von Laue proposed in 1912 that the periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in crystals would cause them to diffract X-rays, a hypothesis confirmed through experiments with copper sulfate and zinc sulfide...
01:10X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
02:32The de Broglie Wavelength
In the macroscopic world, objects that are large enough to be seen by the naked eye follow the rules of classical physics. A billiard ball moving on a table will behave like a particle; it will continue traveling in a straight line unless it collides with another ball, or it is acted on by some other force, such as friction. The ball has a well-defined position and velocity or well-defined momentum, p = mv, which is defined by mass m and velocity v at any given moment. This is the typical...
02:37Metallic Solids
Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...
02:46Electron Configurations
Electron configurations and orbital diagrams can be determined by applying the Aufbau principle (each added electron occupies the subshell of lowest energy available), Pauli exclusion principle (no two electrons can have the same set of four quantum numbers), and Hund’s rule of maximum multiplicity (whenever possible, electrons retain unpaired spins in degenerate orbitals).
The relative energies of the subshells determine the order in which atomic orbitals are filled (1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s,...
The relative energies of the subshells determine the order in which atomic orbitals are filled (1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s,...