Advancements in Electron Diffraction: A broad overview of the current state of ELDICO ED-1 electron diffractometer and some case studies

TL;DR

This paper reviews the ELDICO ED-1 electron diffractometer, highlighting its advantages over traditional methods and its impact on crystallography and industrial applications.

Contribution

The paper introduces the ELDICO ED-1 as a dedicated electron diffractometer that addresses current instrumentation limitations in electron diffraction.

Findings

Dedicated electron diffractometers improve accessibility and ease of use for electron diffraction experiments.

The ELDICO ED-1 enables new applications like crystal mapping for phase and impurity identification.

Recent publications show increased adoption of such devices in industrial and scientific research.

Abstract

3D ED / microED has been rapidly evolving as a complementary technique for SC-XRD experiments.[1] Continuous rotation ED experiments work in the same manner as SC-XRD experiments but overcome the critical bottle-neck problem: crystal size. However, the new bottleneck now lies in instrumentation. Dedicated electron diffractometers[2] make the technique more accessible, improving the ease of use and allowing broader application. In fact, in the last 3 years, there has been an increase in the number of publications arising from such devices.[3]

We would like to showcase, not only the technology, but emphasize the advantages and capabilities of having a dedicated device for electron diffraction experiments. Moreover, we would compare the technology to existing technologies like SC-XRD or XRPD, highlight new fields of applications like “crystal mapping” for phase or impurity identification and present some studies where ED has been a game changer for industrial applications.[3b, 4]